Lionel Messi could face Real Madrid one final time as Club World Cup place confirmed for Inter Miami | OneFootball

Lionel Messi has won the Club World Cup on three occasions (2009, 2011, 2015) during his illustrious career, and he will now have the chance to compete in the newly-formatted competition, which has been extended to 32 teams from 2025 onwards.

On Saturday, Messi’s Inter Miami won the Supporters Shield after a 6-2 win over New England Revolution – a match in which the Argentinian magician scored a 12-minute hat-trick. On the back of this, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced that the MLS side have qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup, as per Diario AS.

Inter Miami join the likes of Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund in the competition, and for the likes of Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, they could face off against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid for one final time, as the La Liga pair are also qualified.

Barcelona will not be there, as they failed to go far enough in last season’s Champions League. However, supporters will still be keeping an eye on how their former player’s get on in the United States next summer.