Inter Miami qualified for the 2025 Club World Cup as the Supporters’ Shield champion in MLS and will bear the responsibility of being the host team for FIFA’s newly proposed tournament, which will bring together the best clubs from all continents in a single venue.
With the aim of rising to the occasion, reports from Europe confirm that big dreams are brewing in Florida, as the club is considering a historic signing—bringing Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together to take on this challenge against the most powerful teams on the planet.
According to the portal talkSPORT, “Inter Miami will do everything possible to unite Messi with Cristiano” and has outlined a plan that depends entirely on what the Portuguese star decides regarding his future at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia before the Club World Cup begins.
The reason is that Ronaldo’s contract in the Middle East expires next June, and he has yet to sign a renewal. As a result, the Herons are ready to seize the moment and pull off a major market surprise.
The article, written by journalist Ben Jacobs, points out that while Al-Nassr wants to extend Ronaldo’s contract, there is a chance he might not immediately agree to a renewal and instead accept a short-term deal with Inter Miami exclusively to play in the tournament alongside Messi.
There is no need to stress how much of a marketing and sponsorship boost this move would provide to a tournament FIFA has struggled to sell. That’s why, in anticipation of major star arrivals, the governing body of world soccer has opened a special transfer window for reinforcements ahead of the competition.
Why Cristiano’s arrival at Inter Miami isn’t possible right now
MLS has salary rules that limit player wages, but each club is allowed three designated players (known as “franchise players”) who can be paid outside the salary cap.
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Currently, Inter Miami’s three designated player slots are already filled: Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, with the latter officially becoming a designated player in February of this year. This means the Herons currently have no salary exemption available to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract.
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The former FC Barcelona defender has a contract with Inter Miami until the end of the year, so there doesn’t seem to be any planned adjustments to his deal to make room for CR7’s arrival. As a result, the Florida franchise’s flexibility is not as great as talkSPORT suggests.
Of course, there are other ways for Cristiano to play in the Club World Cup thanks to FIFA’s new transfer market window ahead of the tournament. However, a move to Florida doesn’t seem likely.
