Inter Miami CF is quite an impressive soccer club. Founded in 2018 and co-owned by David Beckham, the club signed football great Lionel Messi on a free transfer during 2023. A few other high-profile players have also signed up with the club. These include Gonzalo Higuain, Jordi Alba, Blaise Matuidi and Luis Suárez. Since Messi’s arrival Inter Miami was able to win the 2023 Leagues cup. This win led them on to the 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The same year also saw them win their first Supporters’ Shield. As of 2025, the estimated value of the team was an estimated $1.2 billion.
Inter Miami’s historical play during this event
Inter Miami CF’s play at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup was their fifth overall appearance at an international competition and was their first participation in the Club World Cup. The 2025th edition of this tournament was a revamped version of its predecessors with a 32-team play.
Inter Miami CF Co-Owner David Beckham confirmed this when he stated:
“The fact that we’re here in front of all of those fans, in this stadium, in our city, playing the opening game in the club World Cup is an incredible position to be in. We’re very proud of what we’ve done in the last [six] years, but this is the next step and it’s a very exciting night for us.”
Another impressive gameplay by Messi
Messi’s team was able to move past the group stage in the Club World Cup and onto the Round of 16 as the field decreased from 32 teams to 16. Within the group stage, the team was able to finish with a spectacular undefeated record. Inter Miami had two draws and one win and scored a total of five points. This helped them to become one of the first MLS teams to be able to reach the knockout rounds during the Club World Cup.
Messi’s play for Inter Miami is noteworthy, with 50 goals across 61 games scored so far. During the Club World Cup, Messi was on top form again. The progression to Round 16 came after the 2-2 draw against Palmeiras. This cemented the player’s perfect record in the group stages. This is a feat not even his longtime rival Ronaldo has been able to achieve.
Spectacular overall performance by Inter Miami
With a narrow miss on the top 10, Messi was able to lead Inter Miami to a 16th place ranking in the tournament. This placed them ahead of rival teams such as River Plate, Atletico Madrid, Port and Boco Juniors. Not only impressive on the field, but also off the field. The income that the team was able to generate at the conclusion of the tournament was an impressive $21.4 million in revenue.
Javier Mascherano, head coach for the team has set some big goals for the team since the conclusion of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. He noted the magnificent performance during the past tournament as a strong incentive for the upcoming MLS season, with some very ambitious goals set for the domestic front:
“If we were clearly able to compete at that level, there’s no excuse not to be able to compete in our domestic league. That has to be a boost of confidence for everything we’re about to play – not just MLS, but also the Leagues Cup starting later this month.”
All of this motivation has seemingly rubbed off onto the team, as they had some very good performances in the MLS. Since their departure from the FIFA Club World Cup, they were able to score three successive victories and then clenching a fifth place in the Eastern Conference. It seems Messi’s team is in a beneficial position. Further match wins would be able to help them on to gain 47 points which would then help them to build on their dominant leadership within the conference.
