Messi to kick off new Club World Cup, Neymar to face Real

MIAMI: Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will kick off FIFA´s new 32-team Club World Cup when the Major League Soccer side take on Egypt´s Al Ahly in the June 15 opener, the draw for the tournament revealed on Thursday.

Brazilian team Palmeiras and Portugal´s Porto complete Group A alongside Argentina World Cup winner Messi, whose Miami team were handed a spot by FIFA after finishing top of the regular season standings in MLS.

Messi´s former Barcelona team-mate, Brazilian Neymar, will have a reunion with La Liga rivals and European champions Real Madrid in Group H. Twelve European clubs will feature in the tournament with Manchester City facing Juventus in Group G of a tournament which FIFA president Gianni Infantino said would “start a new era in club football”.

Paris Saint-Germain were drawn in a tough group with Atletico Madrid, Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo of Brazil and Seattle Sounders. FIFA has had to deal with some scepticism over the need for the tournament and the chances of it capturing the imagination of fans but there was plenty of support for the competition among those at the draw.

Club officials and former players gathered for Thursday´s draw and US President-elect Donald Trump sent his best wishes in a video message before the ceremony, which took place during a 90-minute live broadcast from a television studio in Miami.

“The event is going to be incredible,” said Trump in his message where he praised Infantino as a “winner”. “We´ve known each other a long time and I´m so honoured to have this kind of relationship because soccer is going through the roof as everyone knows,” he added.

The USA will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. Trump´s daughter Ivanka took part in the draw which was presented by former Juventus and Italy forward Alessandro Del Piero and featured celebrities such as model Adriana Lima.

The final of the tournament will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13. FIFA had struggled to find sponsors and broadcasters for the new tournament but on Wednesday announced a global deal with streaming company DAZN, who will show the games for free. The world governing body has faced opposition from some in the game over the new tournament.

FIFpro and the European Leagues body filed a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.

Opponents of the new tournament have said it adds further congestion to an already crowded schedule and increases the workload of players. But there was little but backing for the competition from the clubs and leagues who will be represented next year.

“We are very supportive of this tournament, We are excited,” said PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also chairman of the European Clubs Association. Al-Khelaifi said the tournament was a better way for clubs to perform in the USA than in pre-season friendly tours and would help PSG to spread their brand.

There was also support from Don Garber, commissioner of Major League Soccer and vice-chair of the World Leagues Association. “The tournament took time to generate all the interest that you are seeing here today,” said the American.

“Good things come to those that sort of put in the work and FIFA put in the work and we´re going to have lots of our stadiums involved, “There are 100 million fans who follow what we call league (club) soccer and they´re going to be interested to see MLS teams and Mexican teams and see teams from all Europe, South America and the rest of the world, so I´m excited about it, I really am,” added Garber.