Inter Miami CF is indeed back in business. This past weekend saw the Herons destroy the Columbus Crew 5-1. Earlier in the weekend, they whopped up on lowly CF Montreal 4-2. The talisman of all club talismans, Lionel Messi, has scored five goals in his last three matches and the Robin to his Batman, Luis Suárez, has three across the past two contests. They’ll head into the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, an event that they’re “hosting” firing on all cylinders.
Inter Miami CF Club World Cup FYIs
How They Qualified: Hosts, Winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield
Watch: stream for free on DAZN. Seriously, a sporting event that can be streamed online FOR FREE.
I don’t believe it either.
Group A Matches:
June 15, 8pm EST, Al Ahly, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
June 19, 3pm, EST, Porto, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA
June 23, 9pm, EST, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, FL
However, the question remains, will Lionel Messi and friends be able to just out-bludgeon their opponents to victories in the tournament?
Inter Miami CF Club World Cup Player to Watch: Lionel Messi
You don’t need to ask. There is a Grand Canyon like gap in interest and excitement for a Major League Soccer game Lionel Messi plays in versus one that he does not.
He just became Inter Miami’s all-time leading MLS goal scorer this past weekend.
And while Inter Miami has plenty of other talented and accomplished players, -the aforementioned Suarez, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets to name a few- it’s all about Messi
Inter Miami CF Club World Cup Storyline: Will These People Stay?
No one expects the Herons to contend for the CWC title, so we’ll just explore more of a big picture question, far beyond the scope of only this tournament. Miami are one of three MLS clubs in this tournament, but right now, Messi has made them far more popular than the rest of the league’s clubs combined.
Are all these added bandwagon supporters Miami fans of Messi fans? Messi fans or MLS fans? Messi fans or soccer fans?
We’ll see what happens with the club and the league when he retires, but you probably already know the answer to that.
2025 FIFA Club World Cup Previews
Manchester City Atletico Madrid Paris Saint-Germain Bayern Munich Real Madrid Borussia Dortmund Inter Miami CF Chelsea FC
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter