Lionel Messi of Inter Miami (left); Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid (right)

Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images (Messi); Aitor Alcalde/Getty Images (Mbappe)

Going for Goals

This summer, soccer fans from around the globe will be focused on the United States. That’s because the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played on American soil for the first time. 

Unlike the regular World Cup, the club tournament won’t include national teams representing their countries. Instead, it will feature 32 of the best clubs from professional leagues. This year, it will include two teams from Major League Soccer (MLS): Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders. Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi says the Club World Cup is a big moment for American soccer. 

“For MLS to have two teams is a wonderful thing,” he said in an interview with Apple Music.

The month-long tournament will be played in a dozen stadiums across the U.S. The action will kick off on June 14 in Miami, Florida, when Messi will lead his team against a club called Al Ahly from Egypt. A club world champion will be crowned at the final match, in New Jersey on July 13. 

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