Messi, Inter Miami brace for tough Club World Cup

Inter Miami's Unlikely Club World Cup Journey

As Inter Miami prepares to take on the world, the team co-owned by David Beckham and featuring Lionel Messi will have the eyes of the world on it as it kicks off soccer's newest competition, the Club World Cup. Just five years after its MLS debut, Inter Miami will showcase its skills against 31 other top teams from around the globe.

This is a competition that will let us see where we stand as a team, said coach Javier Mascherano. No one expects us to go far, but this should be an advantage. We don't have that in our national league when people expect Miami to be the winning team.

Inter Miami's first test comes on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium against Al Ahly from Egypt, Africa's most successful team with a record 12 African championships and 45 national league titles.

While Inter Miami has built its reputation on pulling off the unlikely, some questioned how it earned a spot in the tournament. Its place was secured by winning the MLS Supporters' Shield, which raised eyebrows when announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino last year. The decision looked even more curious when Inter Miami failed to lift the MLS Cup that season.

A tournament designed to determine the best team in the world managed to shoehorn in a team that hadn't even won its own national title. No wonder questions were raised. However, Inter Miami has consistently defied expectations and set its sights high.

Our club will have a global vision, said managing owner and CEO Jorge Mas when Inter Miami was launched in 2018 – initially without a team or name.

As Inter Miami embarks on this unprecedented journey, it remains to be seen whether the team can overcome initial skepticism and prove itself as a force to be reckoned with. One thing is certain the world will be watching.

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Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.