Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami finds itself among the bottom seeds in the Club World Cup draw, a surprising position for a team featuring the renowned forward. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Real Madrid will be positioned in the top pot, reflecting their strong performances in recent competitions.
On Tuesday, FIFA confirmed the draw procedure, which is set to take place in Miami this Thursday. The tournament will take place in the United States, running from June 15 to July 13 next year, marking a significant expansion of the event.
Joining Manchester City and Real Madrid in Pot 1 are European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, alongside South America’s elite teams: Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, and Fluminense.
Inter Miami, which secured its spot despite an early exit from the MLS Cup playoffs, is grouped in Pot 4 with the Seattle Sounders, highlighting the competitive nature of this prestigious tournament.
FIFA has allocated the 32 qualified teams into four pots for the draw to promote competitive balance and geographical diversity across the tournament.
Pot 1 features the highest-ranked teams from Europe and South America, while Pot 2 includes the remaining European qualifiers.
Among the twelve European teams that have qualified are Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, and Salzburg, showcasing a rich tapestry of footballing talent.
Before the draw even occurs, Miami and Seattle have been automatically assigned fourth positions in groups A and B, respectively, setting the stage for their opening matches.
Messi’s Inter Miami will kick off the tournament at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, while the Sounders will begin their journey at Lumen Field in Seattle.
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