Lionel Messi may no longer be the world’s greatest talent on the pitch, but few draw crowds quite like the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner.
The Argentinian maestro has unparalleled appeal when it comes to attracting a global audience, with football fans around the world desperate to catch a glimpse of the 37-year-old live before he hangs up his boots for good.
FIFA’s decision to not only expand but completely reform the Club World Cup has caused concern, but the 2025 edition of the tournament is sure to attract plenty of attention. With North America hosting the event, Inter Miami superstar Messi would make a useful poster boy for world soccer’s governing body.
But it will Messi participation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025?
Inter Miami will be one of the teams competing in the Club World Cup next summer. They are one of five teams from CONCACAF to have made it to the competition, although the Herons have only qualified as host and not because of their achievements on the field.
That means Messi and his former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez will be up against the likes of Manchester City, Real Madrid and Chelsea. Al Nasr’s absence means there will be no final meeting with rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Inter Miami have been placed in Group A due to their status as hosts and will kick off the tournament with the first leg on June 15.
Messi has an impressive record at the Club World Cup in his previous form, having been crowned world champion three times during his Barcelona days. Triumphs in 2009, 2011 and 2015 mean he has been successful in all three of his appearances following Barca’s Champions League triumphs. He missed the 2006 edition due to injury.
Unsurprisingly, Messi was instrumental in La Blaugrana lifting the trophy on three separate occasions, scoring five goals in the five games he played in the competition. He scored the winner in the 2009 final after extra time against Estudiantes de La Plata and scored a goal in the final two years later during a 4-0 rout of Santos.
His most recent appearance in 2015 also led to individual and team glory as he scored in a 3-0 win over Argentine giants River Plate in the showpiece.
Now, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which takes place every four years instead of every year, will take place next summer. Following the conclusion of the 2024/25 campaign, the revamped competition will begin on June 15 and conclude on July 13, with 12 venues in use across the United States.
The old Club World Cup format has been repackaged and will continue as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup – the first of which will take place in December 2024. However, the new iteration of the tournament has changed drastically.
This time there will be a traditional group stage followed by knockout rounds, with clubs from all six confederations playing a minimum of three matches and a maximum of seven.
The 2025 Club World Cup expansion was massive, with 32 teams now competing in the tournament. The group stage features eight groups of four clubs, with the top two teams from each group reaching the knockout stages.
All six continental confederations are represented in the competition, with the OFC having the fewest teams (only Auckland City) and UEFA boasting the most teams (12).
