Messi’s Miami to open expanded 2025 Club World Cup against Egypt’s Al Ahly
Al Jazeera
The draw for the Club World Cup will see Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami open FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup in 2025.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami now know their path for next year’s Club World Cup. The host team – invited by FIFA to compete despite criticism from many in the football world – will play the tournament’s first match on June 15, against Egyptian club Al Ahly, as part of a group that will also feature Palmeiras and Porto.
Premier League champions Manchester City were drawn, at the event in Miami on Thursday evening, with Juventus, Wydad AC and Al Ain in Group G for next year’s expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
The tournament, featuring top teams from around the world, will be held in 12 stadiums around the country from June 15-July 13, and serve as a rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
Miami were the penultimate team added to the tournament after winning the “Supporters’ Shield” for finishing top of the MLS standings in the regular season before losing in the opening round of the MLS playoffs last month.
The Florida-based club, as a representative of the host nation, gets the distinction of playing the first match, which will be staged at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
