Inter Miami to battle with Man City and Real Madrid as Lionel Messi and Co set to be given a place in FIFA's expanded Club World Cup

Lionel Messi will reportedly feature in FIFA's 2025 Club World Cup as Inter Miami will compete with Manchester City and Real Madrid for global glory.

According to ESPN, the South Florida-based team has reportedly secured the final Major League Soccer (MLS) spot for the prestigious global competition, set to take place in the summer of 2025.

Inter Miami's selection for the Club World Cup stems from FIFA’s decision to award Concacaf an additional slot in the tournament. This extra spot was granted as the U.S. is hosting the tournament. While MLS had no direct say in which team would represent the league, it provided FIFA with potential candidates, leaving the governing body to make the final decision. Now, ESPN reported that Inter Miami, the 2024 Supporters' Shield winner, would claim the coveted spot.

For the first time in its history, the FIFA Club World Cup will feature 32 teams, marking a significant expansion from the previous format, which hosted just seven teams. The revamped tournament, scheduled from June 15 to July 13, 2025, will be held across multiple venues in the United States. FIFA has allocated 12 spots to European clubs (UEFA), six to South American teams (CONMEBOL), and four each to clubs from North America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), Asia (AFC), and Africa (CAF). The remaining spot is reserved for Oceania (OFC).
Some of the confirmed teams for the competition include Manchester City, who qualified as the 2022-23 Champions League winners, and Real Madrid, who earned their spot as winners of both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 Champions League titles. Inter Miami, guided by the legendary Messi, will now join these European powerhouses in their quest for supremacy.

Before gearing up for the Club World Cup, Messi will return to action for Miami as they face the New England Revolution in their next MLS fixture on Saturday. The team currently sits at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, and Messi’s continued leadership will be crucial as they aim to set the record for most points (74) in a league campaign.