The rebranded and expanded FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on Saturday, with a headline clash between Inter Miami—led by Lionel Messi—and Egyptian giants Al Ahly, the most decorated club in world football.

The tournament now features 32 teams, marking a significant expansion from previous editions. FIFA has selected the high-profile Miami-Al Ahly encounter to launch the competition, ensuring global attention from football fans.

Inter Miami finished top of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season, securing their spot in the Club World Cup over LA Galaxy, who won the MLS Cup. 

FIFA confirmed Miami’s participation in October after the team set a new regular-season points record with a 6-2 victory over New England Revolution, surpassing the previous mark set in 2021.

Al Ahly qualified for the tournament after clinching the CAF Champions League title two seasons ago. However, their reign as Africa’s champions ended last season with a semifinal defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns, leading to the departure of coach Marcel Koller. His successor, Jose Riveiro, formerly of Orlando Pirates, will make his Al Ahly managerial debut against Inter Miami.

Messi, a two-time winner of the Club World Cup with Barcelona (2009, 2011), is expected to be Miami’s focal point. Manager Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi, acknowledged his importance, stating, “It’s our responsibility to create the right environment for him to shine.”

Miami faces injury concerns, with Jordi Alba, Gonzalo Lujan, and Yannick Bright ruled out. There were doubts over David Martinez’s fitness, but Mascherano suggested he could recover in time.

Al Ahly’s Preparations & Squad
The Egyptian club has spent two weeks in the U.S. preparing for the tournament, including a warm-up match against Pachuca, which ended in a 1-1 draw before a penalty shootout loss. Former Aston Villa winger Mahmoud Trezeguet leads their attack, with Riveiro having a fully fit squad at his disposal.

The tournament offers a total prize pool of $1 billion, with the champion set to earn up to $125 million. Approximately half of the fund will be distributed among the 32 participating clubs based on sporting and commercial criteria.

This marks the first-ever meeting between Inter Miami and Al Ahly, as Concacaf representatives face CAF giants in a showdown that will set the tone for the expanded tournament.

Source: Al Jazeera 

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