In this year's tournament, Messi and Inter Miami are in Group A with Al-Ahly, Palmeiras, FC Porto. According to the assessment, Palmeiras is considered the weakest in the group. Inter Miami is expected not to disappoint the home audience. Last season was an unsuccessful campaign for Messi and his teammates and this is an opportunity for them to regain their dignity.
Inter Miami is the host country of the United States at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Coach Javier Mascherano has selected 29 players, including 4 goalkeepers, 13 defenders, 8 midfielders and 4 forwards to create a balance between experience and youth. Besides Messi, Inter Miami also has a squad of high-class Barcelona veterans such as Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba. These are all experienced players from previous Club World Cups.
According to statistics, Messi is the player who scored the most goals at international level for Argentina, with 112 goals/193 matches. Following him are Harry Kane of Bayern Munich (73 goals for England), Luis Suarez of Inter Miami (69 goals for Uruguay), Aleksandar Mitrovic of Al Hilal (62 goals for Serbia), Edinson Cavani of CA Boca Juniors (58 goals for Uruguay)...
With 193 matches, Messi also leads the FIFA Club World Cup players in terms of appearances for the national team, above Real Madrid's Luka Modric (188 matches) and CF Monterrey's Sergio Ramos (180 matches)...
Speaking about the superstar, Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said: “When we talk about Maradona and Messi, we don’t need to say anything more. They are extraordinary players, obviously the best in the world . I never had the chance to coach, play alongside or work with Messi. But his journey, his experience with the Argentina national team, puts him in a special position. It’s an honor to be Argentine.”
Messi is also the star expected to bring attraction to the tournament held in the US. Before this tournament, Miami wants Messi to sign a lifetime contract soon.
“I have said before that my wish and my dream is that the number 10, Messi, will be present at the inauguration of our new stadium in March next year,” said Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas. “It is up to Messi to decide. We want Messi to finish his career here. I said a few months ago that we would have news about it in the summer, but hopefully as soon as possible.”
The 2025 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup is the tournament with the highest prize money in history at any level. The winner can receive up to $125 million, while the current UEFA Champions League winner earns around $98 million. The national team that wins the FIFA World Cup also receives around $50 million.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will feature 32 representatives from major confederations around the world: 12 clubs from UEFA (Europe), 6 clubs from CONMEBOL (South America), 5 clubs from Concacaf (North America), 4 clubs from AFC (Asia), 4 clubs from CAF (Africa) and 1 club from OFC (Oceania).
The opening match is scheduled to take place at Hard Rock Stadium - Miami and the final match is scheduled to take place at MetLife Stadium - New York. The teams are divided into 8 groups, competing in a round-robin format. The top two teams in each group will advance to the knockout rounds to find the champion.
FIFA plans to expand to 48 teams
FIFA says it will hold a consultation on expanding the Club World Cup to 48 teams in 2029 if this summer's tournament is a success.
The current 32-team tournament kicks off in the US on 15 June. The winners will receive a $125.8m (£93.2m) entry fee and prize money for playing seven games. That is around £25m less than PSG received from UEFA for winning the Champions League (17 games). Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and AC Milan are among the big clubs with large fan bases who have not qualified. FIFA still limits the tournament to 12 European teams, so expansion is the only way to get more teams from the region to compete.
An expanded Club World Cup would be particularly welcomed by European clubs. A larger tournament involving more European clubs would also suit FIFA in terms of selling commercial deals.
Serious discussions are under way between all parties involved in the Club World Cup's expansion, with the format and structure expected to be discussed after the tournament concludes in the summer. Increasing the number of teams would mean increasing the limit of two clubs from one country competing, a restriction that would see Liverpool excluded from the tournament despite meeting one of the criteria of being one of the eight best teams in the Champions League but not winning the competition between 2021 and 2024. Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid have qualified as Champions League winners during that period. Nine other European clubs have qualified through UEFA's rankings. Brazil have four representatives thanks to their four consecutive Copa Libertadores titles. The United States have three clubs after Los Angeles beat Mexico's Club America in a play-off. ( HH )
Source: https://cand.com.vn/the-thao/messi-va-fifa-club-world-cup-2025-i771536/
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