Messi Chasing More Success with Miami

At nearly 38 years of age, Lionel Messi has done it all. He’s ended a two-decade-long trophy drought with Argentina, guiding them to a World Cup and two Copa América titles. He’s collected eight Ballon d’Or awards and spearheaded Barcelona to 10 LaLiga championships as well as four Champions League titles, as well as two Ligue 1 titles with Paris Saint-Germain. And even as he enters the twilight of his career, he’s still getting the job done and excelling in North America.

After leading Inter Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup following his arrival, Messi’s first full season with Miami would see them claim the Supporters’ Shield and finish with the most points in MLS regular season history. Today, he has the chance to add several new pieces of silverware into his enormous trophy cabinet. 

Miami kicked off the 2025 season with a trip to Kansas City for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup. In a frigid night in Missouri, Messi’s red-hot form carried Miami over the finished line; in the 56th minute, the diminutive Argentine playmaker collected a pass from Sergio Busquets onto his chest before shuffling it onto his right and firing a powerful shot into the bottom left corner to secure a 1-0 victory. He followed that up with a brace of assists against New York City FC, as 10-man Miami escaped with a point at the final second.

Their third match under Javier Mascherano would see Miami take the lead within 19 minutes as Luis Suárez found Messi on the edge of the box, who fired in a rocket into the back of the net. Tadeo Allende and Suárez would seal the deal before halftime as Miami moved onto the next round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, securing a 3-1 victory in South Florida. It was yet another reminder that Miami, at least for now, has the greatest player of all time in their first-team squad.

“I think the best player ever is Messi,” said Carlos Mac Allister, who played alongside Diego Maradona, who played against Ronaldo, and whose son Alexis won the World Cup alongside Messi. “When you look at the numbers he’s put up over the years, it’s simply unprecedented. There have been so many great players like Maradona, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Alfred Di Stéfano, but to be the best player in the world for 16-17 seasons doesn’t just require you to be a good footballer, but to be a thoughtful man who’s well-prepared, well-trained, humble and responsible in his mannerisms. When you’re the best in the world, you think you can do anything, but Messi has the necessary balance, is very family-oriented and happy.”

Miami will participate in four different competitions this season. They’re into the Round of 16 of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, where they will take on Jamaican side Cavalier. They’re vying for their first-ever MLS Cup, and in five months from now, they’ll compete alongside MLS and Liga MX sides in an attempt to win their second Leagues Cup title. However, perhaps their biggest challenge will come in June with the FIFA Club World Cup.

Messi won the Club World Cup with Barcelona in 2009, 2011, and 2015 back when the tournament was composed of just seven teams. However, this competition was later rebranded as the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, with Real Madrid defeating Pachuca in the inaugural edition in 2024. The new Club World Cup, meanwhile, will take place this summer in the United States, and this time, it won’t last for just 10 days, but an entire month. This time, there won’t be seven teams competing, but 32. Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders are the sole two MLS representatives in the tournament, and they’ll be facing off against the best club teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and North America and Oceania.

“FIFA doesn’t need the Club World Cup, the world of football needs it,” stated FIFA’s Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer Gelson Fernandes. “The football clubs outside of Europe needed this competition, and the clubs and fans are very excited and look forward to competing amongst the best in this format. There’s a willingness and appetite from the football world to have this club competition.”

“I was lucky enough to play in three FIFA World Cups for Switzerland and I cannot tell you what a privilege it was to represent my country on the biggest stage,” added Fernandes. “Some of the greatest players in history never had the chance to play at a FIFA World Cup because their national teams were not strong enough. However, the FIFA Club World Cup will offer players in a similar situation another opportunity to experience playing on the biggest stage of all and feel what it is like to represent your club at such an illustrious tournament.”

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will kick off on June 14 as Inter Miami host Egyptian giants Al-Ahly in the Hard Rock Stadium.

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