The Club World Cup will take Inter Miami from start-up to the global stage. Just five years after their MLS debut, the team co-owned by David Beckham and starring Lionel Messi will have the eyes of the world on it as they kick off soccer’s newest competition with the chance to be crowned world champion.
It’s been a wild ride. “This is a competition that will let us see where we are standing as a team,” coach Javier Mascherano said on Friday as Miami enter the unknown in a competition featuring 32 of the best teams from around the globe.
“No one expects us to go far, but this should be an advantage. We don’t have that in our national league when people expect Miami to be the winning team.” Up first for Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday is Africa’s most successful team — Al Ahly from Egypt, who have won a record 12 African championships.
When it comes to winning heritage, there is no competition. Al Ahly, founded in 1907, have won a record 45 national league titles and 39 domestic cups — another record. They qualified for the Club World Cup three times over by winning three of the last four African Champions League titles.
Questions over Miami’s place
Miami, meanwhile, are taking part in the tournament by more questionable means. Their place was secured as a result of winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, a decision that was greeted with some surprise when announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino last year, and looked even more curious when Miami failed to go on and lift the MLS Cup that season. However, the presence of Messi and other star names like Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba is driving the belief that Miami can make a statement over the next month.
This Cup holds a special meaning for Palmeiras
Brazil will have four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup kicking off this weekend. But for Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup, and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title.
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