On Saturday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino revealed that Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will participate in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup that will take place next year. Messi and his colleagues will kick off the competition on Sunday, June 15, at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Dolphins, according to Infantino.
Messi broke the Major League Soccer regular season points record with a hat trick in Inter’s 6-2 victory over the New England Revolution. Following the game, the president of FIFA spoke at Inter’s Chase Stadium. Miami qualified for the host nation and earned the Supporters’ Shield for having the best regular season record this month.
Starting next week, the MLS Cup playoffs will conclude on December 7th, with the league champion being determined.
The Argentine superstar is secured by FIFA’s regular season champions, even if Miami is the favorite to make it to the playoffs. Thanks to Messi’s eight Ballon d’Or titles, the new event is sure to captivate American fans and viewers throughout the world before the 2026 World Cup, which is what FIFA is hoping for.
Messi, who left PSG for Miami last year, may play against elite European clubs for the first time. The tournament will include 32 teams, with the winners representing each FIFA continental confederation.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich are among the twelve European teams, while Flamengo, Boca Juniors, and River Plate are among the six South American teams. The decision by FIFA not to announce the tournament’s broadcast or sponsorship deals has faced internal resistance.
The European Leagues and FIFpro raised concerns with the European Commission on FIFA’s decision to include the competition in the international calendar. Many feel that players already have too much on their plates without adding another event to the mix.
The last seven-team elimination event, the Club World Cup, took place in Saudi Arabia, where Manchester City came out on top over Fluminense. Even though the host for 2029 is still up in the air, FIFA plans to organize the bigger event every four years.
Suarez, a former Barcelona teammate, has scored 20 goals in 27 MLS games, while Leo Messi, who came off the bench in the 58th minute and ignited the late run, has scored 20 goals in 19 MLS games.
After taking home the Supporters’ Shield for best regular season record, Inter are heavy favorites to win the MLS Cup when the playoffs start next week. After the record was broken, the last game became even more thrilling. Gerardo Martino’s squad went into halftime tied after Suarez scored twice.
The stage was set for Suarez’s comeback with goals from Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero in the 34th minute. The home supporters wanted Messi off the bench. Great effort by David Martinez set up the left-footed goal by the ex-Liverpool and Barcelona striker.
