Excitement is already starting to build ahead of next summer’s FIFA World Club Cup and while the competition’s new, expanded format has been generating plenty of buzz, the booking of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami for the tournament has been piquing the most interest in American and Canadian sporting circles.
Messi will captain Inter Miami at the competition, which will be hosted by the United States between June 15 and July 13 in 2025, and while Vice City aren’t ranked among the early favourites in bookmaker’s markets to win the World Club Cup outright, the organisers know that the longer the iconic Argentinean is involved, the more popular the tournament will be stateside.
FIFA revealed that Inter Miami are set to be named as one of the top seeds for the FIFA CWC. In theory, this should give them an easier pathway when the groups are drawn. If the MLS outfit is paired with beatable teams, their odds on the best betting sites in Canada and beyond could improve.
However, will Lionel Messi’s other-worldly talents be enough to drag Inter Miami to glory next summer?
FIFA World Club Cup – Who are the main contenders?
Manchester City
Odds: 4.50
Winners of the previous edition of the World Club Cup in 2023, Pep Guardiola’s serial trophy-winning Manchester City outfit are the early front-runners in betting markets to win the 2024 iteration of the competition outright.
City will bring one of the most star-studded squads to the USA. Although Rodri's injury has impacted their Premier League form, the Spaniard could recover from his ACL tear in time for the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid
Odds: 5.00
The 2023/24 Champions League and La Liga double winners, Real Madrid, are expected to make a major splash in the USA at next summer’s Club World Cup. The record five-time winners were last crowned the world’s best club side in 2022 and they will be eager to wrestle that accolade back off Man City in 2025.
Los Blancos should have superstars like Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in tow, though they could have a new Head Coach at the helm for the tournament with Carlo Ancelotti widely expected to exit the club at the end of the domestic club campaign in Europe.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso is rumoured to have been lined up to replace Ancelotti and the wily Spanish tactician could have an opportunity to land some early silverware in next year’s FIFA CWC.
Bayern Munich
Odds: 8.00
Vincent Kompany’s tenure at Bayern Munich is still in its infancy, though the early indicators already suggest that the Belgian is getting the Bavarian powerhouse back on track. Bayern have looked a cut above in the Bundesliga this term and are set to snatch their title back from Bayer Leverkusen at the first time of asking this season.
Die Roten have been dominating possession, creating numerous chances and scoring buckets of goals under Kompany’s instruction and they should be a well-oiled winning machine by the time the Club World Cup kicks off in June 2025. Bayern are third favourites in the ante-post betting markets at a generous-looking price of 8.00 to win the CWC for the first time since 2020.
How deep into the FIFA Club World Cup can Messi take Inter Miami?
FIFA were determined to have Lionel Messi as their poster boy for the expanded Club World Cup in 2025, but just how long can the 37-year-old keep Inter Miami in next summer’s glitzy sporting event?
The move to include Inter Miami in the competition based on their 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield win was seen as a hugely controversial manoeuvre by FIFA in the first place and Inter have been tipped by many to exit the competition at the group phase.
With Lionel Messi scoring 20 goals, Inter topped the MLS regular season standings. However, they were eliminated in Round 1 of the MLS Cup after losing twice in a three-game series against Atalanta.
That means that Inter will represent the MLS at the Club World Cup next year against the normal merits of fair competition. Still, any team from Major League Soccer that earned qualification via any avenue would be likely to struggle against a lengthy list of high-calibre opponents.
Alongside Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, other European giants Inter Milan, PSG, Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are also set to compete at the 2025 Club World Cup, while South American sides Palmeiras, Flamengo, River Plate and Boca Juniors would expect to comfortably have the edge over an inferior Inter Miami outfit.
Inter Miami can be backed at sizable odds of 41.00 to win the Club World Cup and even the mercurial magic of Lionel Messi might not be enough to carry Vice City FC through the Group Stage successfully.