Inter Miami has been confirmed as one of the newest entrants in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, to be held in the United States from June 15 to July 3, 2025. The expanded edition of the tournament will feature 32 teams: 12 from Europe, six from South America, and 12 from Asia, Africa, and North America. The final two berths will come from Oceania and the host country itself, namely the United States.
Owner David Beckham will take Inter Miami to the tournament through winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield after finishing the season with the best points for Major League Soccer. This comes from the back of a fantastic performance by Lionel Messi, who scored a hat trick in helping Inter Miami set a new regular-season points record in the MLS.
He concluded by welcoming Inter Miami, saying, “You have demonstrated that in the United States you are always the best club on the playing field. Hence, I am honored to announce that as one of the best clubs in the world, you are justly qualified to participate in the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025”.
Big names participating include Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez, among others, who will clash with top-notch clubs in Europe such as Chelsea and Manchester City, who have already qualified for the championship. Those other teams that are representing Europe are Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto, and Benfica. The last slot will be taken by the champion of 2024 Copa Libertadores.
The matches are scheduled to be played at eight venues in the United States, while Inter Miami will host their home game at Hard Rock Stadium and the final event at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The increase in competition size has been criticized by many clubs and players, mainly following UEFA’s increase of the group stages of Champions League and Europa League into two additional games. In July, FIFPro, the global union of professional footballers, and European Leagues, an organization which represents 39 leagues and more than 1,130 clubs in 33 countries, presented a joint complaint to the European Commission, arguing that FIFA is committing an “abuse of dominance” in the beautiful game.
