30 out of 32 teams have already been confirmed for the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States. FIFA is putting its full effort into planning, logistics, and commercial agreements to make this tournament the ultimate goal for teams around the globe, much like the World Cup is for national teams. Inter Miami and Lionel Messi remain expectant awarding a spot.
The 12 representatives from UEFA (Europe), 4 from CONCACAF (Caribbean, Central, and North America), 4 from CAF (Africa), 4 from AFC (Asia), the team from OFC (Oceania), and 5 out of 6 from CONMEBOL (South America) are already confirmed.
One of the remaining spots will be determined by the 2024 Copa Libertadores; if the winner is from a team already qualified, the slot will be awarded based on the points table. Otherwise, the new South American champion will secure the spot. The other spot will be decided by MLS, as the federation with the most significant role in the host country.
In this regard, the North American entity is considering two options to award the opportunity to participate in the first 32-team Club World Cup. The first option is to grant the spot to the current MLS champion. The second option is to have a final between the MLS champion and the winner of the US Open Cup.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami controls the ball during the second half of the game against St. Louis City at Chase Stadium on June 01, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Therefore, there is still a real chance that Inter Miami could secure that spot for the tournament, which will take place from June 15 to July 13 next year. Lionel Messi’s team is currently leading the Eastern Conference standings with 56 points, positioning them well for the playoffs, which will begin in October.
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Star presence at the Inter Miami match: Lionel Messi and his meeting with a GOAT at Chase Stadium
Indeed, MLS will need to resolve this issue in the coming weeks, as both tournaments approach their crucial stages. Additionally, FIFA aims to conduct the draw to determine the teams in each of the eight groups between late December and early January, once all the qualified teams are confirmed.
The 30 teams already qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup:
UEFA: Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Inter de Milan, Juventus, Benfica, Porto, PSG and RB Salzburg.
Conmebol: Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, River Plate and Boca Juniors.
Concacaf: Seattle Sounders, Rayados de Monterrey, Club Leon and Pachuca.
AFC: Al Hilal, Al Ain, Urawa Red Diamonds and Ulsan Hyundai.
OFC: Auckland City.
CAF: Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Mamelody and Espérance.
When will Messi return to play for Inter Miami?
Lionel Messi has yet to make his return after the sprain he suffered in the Copa America final in the United States on July 14. Following Inter Miami’s 2-0 victory over Cincinnati, Gerardo Martino clarified that Messi is already training with the ball, but it will take some additional time for him to regain full physical confidence. ‘I can’t specify dates, but he’s in the final stages of his recovery,’ Martino said.
