The euphoria of a historic victory — the first official win for a Concacaf team over a European club — is now behind them. After defeating Porto, Inter Miami has shifted its focus to closing out the group stage against Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras, aiming to secure a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. And they’ll be doing it with Lionel Messi on fire.
In the training session ahead of the decisive clash, Messi looked in top shape, in great spirits, fully engaged — even getting visibly annoyed when he was sent to the middle during a rondo drill — and joking around with Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez. All signs point to the No. 10 starting once again.
“We have to be ready to play the best game we possibly can, because we’re about to take part in what could be one of the most important matches in the history of our club,” said Mascherano in his press conference. “This should fill us with excitement, not pressure. It shouldn’t be a burden — it should be a challenge for this group,” he added. “Beyond who we’re facing, we came into this tournament full of belief. That doesn’t overshadow the quality of the opponent, but we’re ready to compete.”
Injuries, setbacks, and a key return
Although Mascherano has most of his roster available, he’s facing some serious challenges in rebuilding his central defense. Gonzalo Luján remains out with a muscular injury he suffered on May 28. To make matters worse, Ian Fray suffered a left adductor strain during the win over FC Porto, as confirmed by the club.
Yannick Bright and David Ruiz are also ruled out, still working separately with the fitness coach and not included in the matchday squad.
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Lionel Messi recovers a key teammate for Inter Miami vs. Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025
The big upside? The return of Jordi Alba. After being sidelined due to an injury he sustained in the match against Montréal, the Spanish fullback played just 11 minutes against Porto but is now expected to start against Palmeiras.
“It’s been almost three weeks. It’s always harder coming off the bench than starting, especially when the game is high-intensity,” said Alba ahead of the session. “I’m happy to be back and to try to help the team however I can. We played an incredible game against a strong opponent.”
