Messi to kick off new Club World Cup, Neymar to face Real

TDT | Manama
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Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami team will kick off FIFA’s revamped 32-team Club World Cup on June 15, facing Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the tournament's opening match. The draw, held on Thursday, revealed that Miami will compete in Group A alongside Brazil's Palmeiras and Portugal's Porto.

The tournament, which FIFA President Gianni Infantino described as marking “a new era in club football,” will bring together top clubs from across the globe. Messi, fresh off his World Cup-winning campaign with Argentina, will lead the Major League Soccer side, granted a spot due to their top finish in the regular MLS standings.

Group H promises a blockbuster reunion, as Messi's former Barcelona teammate Neymar, now with Saudi club Al-Hilal, will face Real Madrid, rekindling memories of their La Liga rivalry.

Other notable groupings include Group G, where European champions Manchester City will face Italy’s Juventus, and Group C, where Paris Saint-Germain are set to battle Atletico Madrid, Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders.

The USA, co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will host this edition of the Club World Cup, with the final scheduled at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13. The tournament is expected to showcase elite football talent on a global stage.

“This event is going to be incredible,” said U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in a video message during the draw. Praising Infantino as a “winner,” Trump noted soccer’s surging popularity worldwide.

The draw, hosted in Miami, featured notable personalities such as Ivanka Trump, Alessandro Del Piero, and Adriana Lima.