Inter Miami’s participation in the Club World Cup has angered their MLS rivals at FIFA.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino recently announced that the team co-owned by legend David Beckham will participate in the Club World Cup taking place in the summer of 2025 in the US.
Mr. Infantino explained that the reason Lionel Messi’s team was able to participate in the Club World Cup was because they had just won the Supporters Shield, an award given to the club with the best performance in the regular season in MLS.
The actual MLS champion will be decided through the playoffs.
But the reason Miami qualified for the Club World Cup was not made clear before they lifted the trophy, so their opponents accused FIFA of not having clear criteria and conditions.
MLS teams claim that FIFA acted hastily just to ensure that Lionel Messi would be included in the tournament’s inaugural 32-team format.
Messi’s team was criticized for being allowed to participate in the 2025 Club World Cup.
FIFA discussed the criteria with MLS this season before deciding on the Supporters Shield winner at a Council meeting on October 3, just one day after Miami won the championship.
MLS insists that all decisions regarding the final starting spot are ultimately up to the world’s football governing body.
Beckham’s team will not only be awarded a place in the host nation’s tournament, but will also be given the chance to host the opening match in Miami on June 15, 2025.
Other clubs have always felt Miami gets special treatment from the league because of its high-profile stars – something they have always denied.
Inter Miami currently have four former Barcelona legends in their squad – Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.
Their success on the pitch this season, setting a record for points in the regular season.
Top European teams such as Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, PSG, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are all participating in the 2025 Club World Cup.
