Inter Miami, Messi going to 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
FORT LAUDERDALE - Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, is heading to the Club World Cup next year.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced Saturday night that Inter Miami will play in the tournament, something that had been long expected given Messi's enormous popularity around the world and how the tournament already planned on some matches in South Florida.
The event, which is set to be played every four years, includes 32 teams from FIFA's six soccer confederations. Inter Miami will play in the tournament opener, scheduled for June 15, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
"I am proud to announce that as one of the best clubs in the world, you are deserved participants in the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025 as the host club representing the United States," Infantino said in an on-field ceremony after Inter Miami broke Major League Soccer's mark for most points in a regular season.
Inter Miami recorded 74 points with 22 wins and eight draws, while incurring only four defeats, from February to October
The announcement was made after Inter Miami's final MLS regular season match against New England Revolution at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
Lionel Messi scored an 11-minute hat trick to help Inter Miami defeat Revolution 6-2 .
Inter Miami qualifies as the host country representative team on the basis of the club's 34-match campaign that saw them secure the shield with two MLS matches to play.
"We all know how Miami is in love with football and how Inter Miami is supported from across Florida and beyond for your exciting brand of football," the FIFA President SAID. "You have shown that in the United States, you are consistently the best club on the field of play."
The tournament runs through July 13, with the final scheduled for New Jersey's MetLife Stadium — also the site of the 2026 World Cup final. So far, the Club World Cup has drawn no major U.S. sponsors and there is not a media rights deal in place.
Other U.S. sites that will play host to the Club World Cup are Atlanta, Cincinnati, Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington and Seattle.
Twelve teams from Europe will be included in the Club World Cup. They are Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, Real Madrid and Salzburg.
Other teams that have qualified include Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras and River Plate from South America; Leon, Monterrey, Pachuca and the Seattle Sounders from North America; Al Ahly, Esperance, Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad from Africa; Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan and Urawa from Asia; and Auckland City from Oceania.
Inter Miami becomes the 31st team in the field. The last will be determined on Nov. 30 at the CONMEBOL Libertadores final in Buenos Aires. The tournament draw is in December.