With Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami carrying a $76 million payroll, how does Al Ahly’s compare?

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly will kick off the newly expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup this Saturday, June 14. The opening match will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami as part of Group A action, which also includes Palmeiras and Porto.

Neither team enters the tournament as a clear favorite to advance to the knockout stage. However, they are expected to be evenly matched on the field—even as Inter Miami enjoys home-field advantage and a significantly more expensive roster.

According to data from Transfermarkt, Inter Miami’s squad is valued at approximately $76 million. Despite being in the later stages of his career, Lionel Messi remains the team’s most valuable player, with an estimated market value of $20.7 million.

Following Messi in Inter Miami’s top valuations are Tomás Avilés ($7M), Federico Redondo ($5.7M), Benjamín Cremaschi ($5.7M), and Baltasar Rodríguez ($5.1M). The MLS side qualified for the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield.

Tomás Aviles #6 of Inter Miami CF celebrates with Lionel Messi and Benjamin Cremaschi after scoring. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Al Ahly’s total squad value, by comparison, stands at around $55 million. Their top-valued players include Mahmoud “Trezeguet” ($5.7M), Wessam Abou Ali ($4.6M), Emam Ashour ($4.6M), and Mohamed “Zizo” Sayed ($4M).

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Projected starting lineups: Inter Miami vs. Al Ahly

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano is expected to start the following lineup for their Club World Cup debut: Óscar Ustari; Marcelo Weigandt, Maxi Falcón, Tomás Avilés, Noah Allen; Telasco Segovia, Sergio Busquets, Benjamín Cremaschi or Federico Redondo; Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi, and Luis Suárez.

Al Ahly, under manager José Riveiro, are expected to line up with: Mohamed El Shenawi; Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Mostafa El Aash, Ahmed Kouka; Marwan Ateya, Ahmed Reda, Emam Ashour; Mahmoud “Trezeguet”, Wessam Abou Ali, and Ahmed “Zizo” Mostafa.

Who is the match referee?

The tournament opener will be officiated by Alireza Faghani, an Iranian-born Australian referee who previously worked the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar.