Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift Club World Cup, but quality gap shows

June 17, 2025 12:27 PM

Healthy crowds and Messi mania lift Club World Cup, but quality gap shows

The expanded Club World Cup has kicked off with healthy crowds, "Messi mania" and a festival atmosphere in Miami, giving an early vindication to world football body FIFA after fears of empty stands and global disinterest. FIFA controversially awarded Lionel Messi's Inter Miami a backdoor route into the tournament, ensuring the sport’s biggest name would be there after he propelled soccer to new heights in a country often ambivalent to the world’s most popular game. Some 61,000 fans packed ...

Messi, Suarez sit but Miami scores late to stun Philly 2-1

June 16, 2024 9:25 AM

Messi, Suarez sit but Miami scores late to stun Philly 2-1

Despite being down to nine men, Inter Miami CF picked up a surprising 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union behind a stoppage-time goal from Leo Afonso Saturday (June 15) night in Chester, Pennsylvania. Alonso's match-winner, in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, came with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez missing from the Miami lineup ahead of Copa America. Miami also saw David Ruiz and Tomas Aviles each sent off in the second half as both were shown their second yellow cards. The l...