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FIFA selects Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to play in Club World Cup 2025

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FIFA selects Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami to play in Club World Cup 2025

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Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami has been selected to play in FIFA Club World Cup 2025 held in the United States next summer.

The announcement was made by FIFA president Gianni Infanto on Saturday night as Messi and Inter Miami celebrated winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield, given to the club with the best regular-season record this season, following a 6-2 win over the New England Revolution.

Inter Miami will occupy the host bid, which was one of two spots remaining in the 32-team tournament, where soccer giants like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain will compete in a World Cup-style tournament for a championship.

Inter Miami will play in the Club World Cup opener at Hard Rock Stadium on June 15, 2025. The final is July 13, 2025 at MetLife Stadium – the same venue to host the World Cup 2026 final.

Inter Miami has been widely regarded as an obvious candidate for the host bid because of Messi’s presence. The Argentine World Cup champion and two-time Copa America champion is playing in the twilight of his illustrious career with an American team in Major League Soccer.

Messi is the biggest draw in the sport, and would undoubtedly be the biggest star in the tournament – overshadowing the likes of Real Madrid’s star trio of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, and Man City’s elite scorer Erling Haaland.

To be clear: FIFA made the decision to choose Inter Miami, not Major League Soccer.

FIFA previously did not share its criteria in deciding its host nation bid, while 30 of the 32 teams either have won a significant championship or considered the next highest-ranking club in their respective delegations.

Essentially, it was unclear whether Inter Miami’s MLS Supporters’ Shield title or Messi’s mere presence were qualifying factors to earn the host bid before the MLS Cup playoffs begin next week.

“Details regarding the host slot allocation will be announced in due course,” FIFA says on multiple articles about the tournament on its website.

Inter Miami becomes the second MLS team, and fifth team from North America in the Club World Cup – joining the last four winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Monterrey (MEX) won in 2021, the Seattle Sounders (USA) won in 2022, Club Leon (MEX) won in 2023 and Pachuca (MEX) won the most recent Champions Cup earlier this year against 2023 MLS champion Columbus Crew.

Here are 31 of 32 teams that have already qualified for the tournament, and how they qualified:

CONCACAF: North America, Central America and the Caribbean

  • Monterrey (MEX) – 2021 Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Seattle Sounders (USA) – 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Club Leon (MEX) – 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Pachuca (MEX) – 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup
  • Inter Miami (USA) – 2025 Club World Cup host slot

CONMEBOL: South America

  • Palmeiras (BRA) – 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores
  • Flamengo (BRA) – 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores
  • Fluminense (BRA) – 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores
  • River Plate (ARG) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
  • Boca Juniors (ARG) – CONMEBOL ranking pathway
  • TBD – 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores

UEFA: Union of European Football Associations

  • Chelsea (ENG) – 2020/21 UEFA Champions League
  • Real Madrid (ESP) – 2021/22 and 2023/24 UEFA Champions League
  • Manchester City (ENG) – 2022/23 UEFA Champions League
  • Bayern Munich (GER) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Inter Milan (ITA) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Porto (POR) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Benfica (POR) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Borussia Dortmund (GER) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Juventus (ITA) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • Atletico Madrid (ESP) – UEFA ranking pathway
  • FC Salzburg (AUT) – UEFA ranking pathway

AFC: Asian Football Confederation

  • Al Hilal (KSA) – 2021 AFC Champions League
  • Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) – 2022 AFC Champions League
  • Al Ain (UAE) – 2023/24 AFC Champions League
  • Ulsan HD FC (KOR) – AFC ranking pathway

CAF: Confederation of African Football

  • Al Ahly (EGY) – 2020/21, 2022/23 and 2023/24 CAF Champions League
  • Wydad (MAR) – 2021/22 CAF Champions League
  • ES Tunis (TUN) – CAF ranking pathway
  • Mamelodi Sundowns (RSA) – CAF ranking pathway

OFC: Oceania Football Confederation

  • Auckland City (NZL) – OFC ranking pathway

Here’s the stadium sites where the Club World Cup will be played:

  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
  • TQL Stadium (Cincinnati)
  • Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)
  • MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
  • Hard Rock Stadium (Miami)
  • Geodis Park (Nashville, Tenn.)
  • Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)
  • Camping World Stadium (Orlando, Fla.)
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