Messi starts the Football Club World Cup: a duel against Al Ahly in Miami!

Messi starts the Football Club World Cup: a duel against Al Ahly in Miami!

On June 15, 2025, a high-profile football event will begin at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami: the 2025 Football Club World Cup. With Lionel Messi at the helm, Inter Miami will play the opening game against Al Ahly from Egypt, which will kick off at 2:00 a.m. CEST. This edition of the tournament particularly stands out because it is being held for the first time in a large format with 32 teams from different continents. Despite the importance of the game, ticket sales were slow. FIFA is trying to ensure a full crowd in the 65,000-strong stadium with various measures, including discounted tickets for students.

Messi, who has scored 15 goals in 20 competition games this season, leads his team with great ambition. According to coach Javier Mascherano, the competition has a high level of prestige as Inter Miami will be competing against some of the best clubs in the world. Concerns about ticket sales don't seem to be dampening media attention; FIFA is optimistic and expects the tournament to be a success.

Inter Miami and Al Ahly: outsiders in the competition

Inter Miami, founded in 2018, is considered one of the underdogs in their group, which also includes FC Porto and Palmeiras from São Paulo. Messi and his teammates face a difficult challenge, especially against the experienced teams. Mascherano points out that while the group won't be intimidating, the games will still be challenging. Opposite them is Al Ahly, the traditional club that is training this year under Jose Riveiro, who succeeded Marcel Koller less than three weeks ago.

Al Ahly have established themselves by winning the CAF Champions League in recent years and bring with them players of outstanding caliber, including international striker Mahmoud Trezeguet. The club already has impressive statistics under Riveiro, with star player Wessam Abou Ali scoring 15 goals in 29 games. Al Ahly go into the tournament in good shape and will do everything they can to win the game against Inter Miami to cement their ambitions in the group.

Tournament details and prize money

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will take place in the USA from June 14 to July 13 and will feature a total of 32 teams. Participating countries include Germany with FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. The prize money totaling a billion US dollars is impressive, with the tournament winner able to win up to 125 million US dollars.

The game mode has been changed and now includes 8 groups of 4 teams each, of which the best two advance to the knockout round. The final is scheduled for July 13th at MetLife Stadium in New York. There will be an additional mini transfer window for players during the tournament to ensure they only compete for one club. The games will be broadcast on SAT.1, Joyn and ran.de in live streams and free TV.

With a host of stars, huge prize money and the fact that an entire league is fighting for the title in a month, this tournament promises to be a spectacular football event. All eyes will be on Messi and his team as they take to football's biggest stage.