Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have secured a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Which will feature 32 top clubs from around the globe and take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13. Miami will also host the tournament’s opening match. Typically, the U.S. host club for the Club World Cup would be determined by the MLS Cup winner, but FIFA opted to grant the berth to the winner of the MLS Supporters’ Shield instead, recognizing consistency over the league’s 34-game regular season.
Miami claimed the Shield in dominant fashion, setting a new league points record with 74, surpassing the previous mark of 73 set by New England Revolution in 2021. The record-breaking achievement was sealed with a 6-2 victory over New England on Saturday.
In a press release, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed Inter Miami’s inclusion in the tournament. “Congratulations on your wonderful 2024 Supporters’ Shield success. You have shown that in the United States, you are consistently the best club on the field of play,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a news release.
“Therefore, I am proud to announce that as one of the best clubs in the world, you are deserved participants in the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025 as the host club representing the United States.”
Messi joined Inter Miami midway through the 2023 MLS season and quickly made his mark by guiding the team to a Leagues Cup title. However, his arrival came too late to salvage Miami’s playoff hopes that year. In his first full season in 2024, despite battling injuries and national team commitments that limited him to 19 league appearances, Messi delivered 20 goals, including a stunning hat trick in an 11-minute span on Saturday. Miami clinched the Supporters’ Shield and the top seed for the MLS playoffs with two games to spare.
Inter Miami’s inclusion marks only the second time an MLS team will compete in the Club World Cup. The Seattle Sounders previously earned a spot by winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The final berth for the 2025 tournament will go to the winner of the Copa Libertadores final on November 30 in Buenos Aires.