Club World Cup: Messi’s Inter Miami set to clash with Al Ahly in match debut

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City have been placed in Group G for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where they will compete against Juventus, Morocco’s Wydad AC, and UAE’s Al Ain.

The tournament, set to take place in the United States, will showcase an expanded 32-team format and run from June 15 to July 13, 2025.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, representing Major League Soccer, will feature prominently in Group A.

They are slated to kick off the tournament against Egyptian giants Al Ahly, followed by matches against Portuguese powerhouse Porto and Brazil’s Palmeiras.

Spanning 12 stadiums across the U.S., the competition is expected to act as a precursor to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Manchester City, who secured the last Club World Cup title in 2023 under the now-defunct smaller format, will aim to defend their crown despite struggling with injuries this season.

The team, currently fourth in the Premier League, has felt the absence of key players, including Spanish midfield maestro and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri.

City’s campaign in Group G will begin with a clash against Wydad AC, followed by a matchup with Al Ain, and a potentially decisive final group stage fixture against Juventus.

This tournament promises to be a landmark event, uniting top clubs worldwide in a grand showcase of football talent.

Miami were the penultimate team added to the tournament after winning the “Supporters’ Shield” for finishing top of the MLS standings in the regular season before losing in the first round of the MLS playoffs last month.

European champions Real Madrid will face Al-Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg in Group H while Bayern Munich were placed in Group C along with Auckland City, Boca Juniors and Benfica.

Three-times European champions Inter Milan landed in Group E along with River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds and Monterrey while Paris St Germain, who this year won a third consecutive French top-flight title, are in Group B with Atletico Madrid, Botafogo and Seattle Sounders.

Brazilian side Botafogo only secured the final spot in the tournament last week by winning their first Copa Libertadores title.

Chelsea will begin Group D play against Leon before facing Flamengo and Esperance, while Group F is made up of Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan HD and Mamelodi Sundowns.

The draw, conducted by Italian World Cup winner and former Juventus great Alessandro Del Piero, included a recorded message from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in which he complimented FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“The event is going to be incredible. I will try and be there. If I can I would, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said. “But I just want to say you’re led by a man named Gianni. I just know him as Gianni and he’s a winner and he’s the president, and I’m the president.

“We’ve known each other a long time, and I’m so honoured to have this kind of a relationship because soccer is going through the roof. As everybody knows, it’s been doing fantastically well … and it really is taking over the United States in terms of the sport.”