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Lionel Messi, Inter Miami Suffer Major Loss originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Inter Miami CF has one of the most talented rosters in Major League Soccer, but it will be put to the test against the world's best at the FIFA Club World Cup—without one of its biggest stars.
The reformatted tournament, hosted by the United States in 2025, kicks off on Saturday with Inter Miami taking on Egyptian club Al Ahly in the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
UEFA Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are both competing, joined by European giants such as Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Inter Miami's group is rounded out by Al Ahly, FC Porto and Palmeiras.
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring against the Philadelphia Union during the second half at Chase Stadium.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Head coach Javier Mascherano's roster, which includes his former FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, has enough firepower to sit sixth out of 30 MLS teams in the league standings entering the worldwide tournament.
His job got harder, though, when he confirmed on Friday that Alba will miss the opening match with an injury. Notably, Mascherano also will not have midfielder Yannick Bright available.
Alba, 36, was named an MLS All-Star in 2024. His remarkable 20 goal contributions (five goals, 15 assists) even by playing as the left back helped Inter Miami win the MLS Supporters' Shield with a single-season record of 74 points in the regular season. This year, he has one goal and five assists in 21 appearances in all competitions.
His presence up and down the left wing has always meshed well with the creativity of Messi off the forward line. Entering the 2025 season, Alba had assisted 30 goals in Messi's illustrious career with Barcelona and IMCF.
The combination was more fruitful than Busquets to Messi (23), but less than the number Suarez has provided (63). Without one of the Barcelona quartet, that much more attention gets placed on the other three, making the gameplan easier for Al Ahly.
Mascherano expressed frustration with Inter Miami's front office for not bolstering the squad with any signings before the Club World Cup, and now his already thin roster is facing the loss of Alba for at least one match. One of Noah Allen or David Martinez is likely to be the replacement at left back.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
Inter Miami CF has one of the most talented rosters in Major League Soccer, but it will be put to the test against the world's best at the FIFA Club World Cup—without one of its biggest stars.
The reformatted tournament, hosted by the United States in 2025, kicks off on Saturday with Inter Miami taking on Egyptian club Al Ahly in the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.
UEFA Champions League finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan are both competing, joined by European giants such as Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Inter Miami's group is rounded out by Al Ahly, FC Porto and Palmeiras.
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Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates after scoring against the Philadelphia Union during the second half at Chase Stadium.Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Head coach Javier Mascherano's roster, which includes his former FC Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, has enough firepower to sit sixth out of 30 MLS teams in the league standings entering the worldwide tournament.
His job got harder, though, when he confirmed on Friday that Alba will miss the opening match with an injury. Notably, Mascherano also will not have midfielder Yannick Bright available.
Jordi Alba is OUT for the Club World Cup opener.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirms what was suspected: Alba as well as Gonzalo Lujan and Yannick Bright will miss the first game vs Al Ahly.#InterMiamiCF#Messipic.twitter.com/iXXjSmp9Pu
— Franco Panizo (@FrancoPanizo) June 13, 2025
Alba, 36, was named an MLS All-Star in 2024. His remarkable 20 goal contributions (five goals, 15 assists) even by playing as the left back helped Inter Miami win the MLS Supporters' Shield with a single-season record of 74 points in the regular season. This year, he has one goal and five assists in 21 appearances in all competitions.
His presence up and down the left wing has always meshed well with the creativity of Messi off the forward line. Entering the 2025 season, Alba had assisted 30 goals in Messi's illustrious career with Barcelona and IMCF.
Alba 
️ The combination was more fruitful than Busquets to Messi (23), but less than the number Suarez has provided (63). Without one of the Barcelona quartet, that much more attention gets placed on the other three, making the gameplan easier for Al Ahly.
Mascherano expressed frustration with Inter Miami's front office for not bolstering the squad with any signings before the Club World Cup, and now his already thin roster is facing the loss of Alba for at least one match. One of Noah Allen or David Martinez is likely to be the replacement at left back.
Related: Inter Miami Turns Heads With Announcement Before Club World Cup
Related: Luis Suarez Sends Clear Message on Lionel Messi’s Retirement
Related: Luis Suarez Sends Clear Message on Lionel Messi’s Retirement
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Continue reading...
