Lionel Messi chases Club World Cup title after Cristiano Ronaldo win reignites GOAT debate

Lionel Messi has a chance to win another major football trophy and respond in the greatest of all time debate with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi will be chasing a fourth Club World Cup title when the expanded FIFA tournament kicks off in Miami on Sunday morning (AEST).

Messi’s Inter Miami takes on Egypt’s Al Ahly in the opening game at Hard Rock Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins on Sunday June 15 (at 10am AEST).

Watch every game of The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup LIVE on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.

Should Inter Miami mount a deep run in a tournament long dominated by European powerhouses, it would only enhance Messi’s already secured legacy.

Messi’s CV features four Champions League titles with Barcelona, 10 La Liga championships, seven Copa del Rey triumphs and an international resurgence that delivered both the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup – the one prize that had eluded him.

Inter Miami is in Group A with Palmeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Ahly (Egypt), Inter Miami (USA), and it will be impressive if Messi can lead his team to the knockout stages.

Messi is teaming up with his former Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba at Inter Miami.

If Messi can somehow win a fourth Club World Cup, it would shut the door on any debate about whether he is the greatest of all time.

Cristiano Ronaldo is mounting a case with his goalscoring longevity, with the 40-year-old winning the UEFA Nations League with Portugal last week to put another trophy in his cabinet.

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi kicks off the Club World Cup. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

Ronaldo is hanging around in the GOAT debate. (Photo by Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP)

Inter Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano said: “The objective is to try to compete to the best of our ability, just as we do in all competitions knowing that it’s a top-level competition, that we’re going to face top-class teams.

“In our minds it’s about trying our best and having the ability to take it one game at a time, trying to give ourselves a chance of making it through the group stage and getting into the last 16.

“So, we’ll try to do our best, try to compete at the highest level and if we do that, hopefully we’ll do well.”

Mascherano was full of praise for the impact Messi has had on the team, the country, and the football world.

“He is the number one and the number one transcends sport,” the coach said.

“They transform sport and revolutionise all the places that they go to. In the case of Leo, it’s striking, the way he’s managed to have such a huge impact on this country, and we have to make the most of the impact that he’s had.”

Can Lionel Messi add another trophy to his cabinet? (Photo by Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP)

How to watch the FIFA Club World Cup in Australia

Catch all the action from the FIFA Club World Cup live on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.

A dedicated 24/7 channel will be available on Kayo Sports along with highlights packages, minis from every match and supplementary programming with all the colour and background stories from the tournament.

Which teams are playing in FIFA Club World Cup?

Asian Football Confederation - Al Ain (UAE), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Ulsan HD (South Korea), Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan).

Confederation of African Football - Al Ahly (Egypt), Esperance de Tunis (Tunisia), Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa), Wydad AC (Morocco).

Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football - Inter Miami (United States), Monterrey (Mexico), Pachuca (Mexico), Seattle Sounders (United States), TBD (Winner of LAFC v Club America).

South American Football Confederation - Boca Juniors (Argentina), Botafogo (Brazil), Flamengo (Brazil), Fluminense (Brazil), Palmeiras (Brazil), River Plate (Argentina).

Oceania Football Confederation - Auckland City (New Zealand).

Union of European Football Associations - Atletico Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Benfica (Portugal), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Chelsea (England), Inter Milan (Italy), Juventus (Italy), Manchester City (England), PSG (France), Porto (Portugal), Real Madrid (Spain), Red Bull Salzberg (Austria).