Football world governing body FIFA has recently confirmed that Inter Miami and their star player Lionel Messi will participate in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, set to take place in the United States next summer. Those looking for the best soccer odds will be very excited to watch this tournament, especially now Messi is set to take part.
The decision was announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Saturday.
The method of qualification for MLS teams to the Club World Cup had been unclear prior to this announcement.
However, Infantino revealed that Inter Miami's inclusion was due to their victory in winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield. This award is given to the team with the most points accumulated during regular season play.
Inter Miami's fellow MLS side Seattle Sounders have also qualified courtesy of winning the 2022 edition of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Without an accomplishment anything close to this, cynics may suggest that Inter Miami's inclusion is purely just an excuse to get Messi into the tournament and onto our screens.
It should however be stated that Inter Miami did set an impressive record this season by scoring 74 points from late February through mid-October. The Columbus Crew, who are currently defending their title as MLS Cup champions, came second with 66 points.
Despite this achievement, none of the league’s 30 teams were aware at the season start that winning the Supporters’ Shield would secure a berth in the Club World Cup. It remains unclear when it was decided that winning this award would result in such an opportunity, but not being aware of this going into the season will have surely left some franchise owners less than pleased by this news.
The other participants in the Club World Cup next summer will include giants from Europe like Manchester City and Real Madrid, and from South America like River Plate, Palmeiras and Flamengo, all of whom qualified by winning the continental championship in their respective regions (e.g. UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores).
Most of the other teams present at the tournament also picked up major continental silverware or at least went deep in those competitions to secure the invite, with Inter Miami being the exception.
Scheduled to commence in June 2025, matches will be hosted across various stadiums throughout the United States including Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C.
The inclusion of Inter Miami and Lionel Messi in the Club World Cup marks an exciting development for football fans worldwide. As we look forward to this global event, it will be interesting to see how these decisions impact future tournaments and shape the landscape of international club football.
Nonetheless, there will be a healthy degree of scepticism among fans and stakeholders at Inter Miami's inclusion in the competition.
