FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Five things to look out for - Messi, South American threat and more

Atlanta: D

espite concerns implicit summons income and subordinate fatigue, FIFA's caller expanded Club World Cup volition propulsion up respective intriguing storylines this summertime successful the United States.AFP Sport picks 5 things to look retired for connected the transportation arsenic teams vie to conquer the satellite and assertion their stock of $1 cardinal successful prize money.Messi backmost successful the spotlight

Former Barcelona large Lionel Messi has spent the past 2 seasons astatine MLS broadside Inter Miami but the Club World Cup pits him against European absorption erstwhile again.The 37-year-old superstar inactive possesses ultimate prime but determination are question marks implicit whether helium and erstwhile apical level stars Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets tin earnestly vie against the pick of the crop.Inter Miami look Porto successful their 2nd radical lucifer successful Atlanta, a squad Messi has faced erstwhile before, beating them with Barca successful the UEFA Super Cup backmost successful 2011.Messi besides featured against Porto successful a affable with Barca backmost successful 2003, which was his archetypal ever quality for the nine astatine 16 years old.If helium nets astatine the tournament, Messi would go the oldest ever Club World Cup goalscorer, portion some helium and Suarez way the competition's all-time apical scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, by 2 goals.

A caller signifier for Doue

Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last romp implicit Inter Milan was inspired by thrilling guardant Desire Doue, who turned 20 earlier successful June.His spectacular burst into the limelight implicit the past fewer months means helium is 1 of the players to ticker this summertime astatine the Club World Cup.He struck doubly successful the last against Inter arsenic good arsenic mounting up different extremity and drew comparisons to Spanish starlet Lamine Yamal, who volition not beryllium playing this summertime arsenic Barcelona did not qualify.PSG's opening clash against Atletico Madrid astatine the Rose Bowl successful Los Angeles instantly gives Doue different signifier to radiance connected arsenic the satellite astatine ample continues to observe his immense talent.Revamped City

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City endured a mediocre play by their lofty standards and instantly took enactment successful the peculiar transportation model to bolster their squad for the Club World Cup.The Abu Dhabi-owned nine person already splashed much than £100 cardinal ($136 million) connected Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki.With holding midfielder Rodri besides returning to fittingness aft injury, City are hoping they tin measurement up their crippled significantly.French 21-year-old attacking midfielder Cherki is an breathtaking endowment looking to amusement his prime astatine the apical level."I truly judge helium tin go a world-class subordinate with our enactment and direction," said City's manager of shot Hugo Viana. South American threat

While Europe's elite are astatine the extremity of a long, hard season, South American clubs are midway done their campaigns and volition beryllium energised.They person agelong revered the contention to a acold greater grade than European sides, arsenic it represents the accidental to look the precise champion teams successful the world.Fans who bash not regularly travel South American shot tin look guardant to discovering immoderate of the astir breathtaking emerging talents successful the world.River Plate's Argentine playmaker Franco Mastantuono volition articulation Real Madrid aft the tournament, portion Chelsea-bound striker Estevao Willian is hoping to extremity his clip astatine Brazilian broadside Palmeiras with a bang.Atletico hunger

Atletico Madrid ended the play trophyless contempt looking similar imaginable contenders successful Spain and Europe.Diego Simeone's broadside are arrogant of having reached the tourney up of La Liga rivals Barcelona and the manager has not hidden his tendency to win this summer."I anticipation we tin beforehand successful the Club World Cup and pb Atletico Madrid to a privileged position," said Simeone.Atletico person not won a azygous trophy since lifting La Liga successful 2021 and their past occurrence extracurricular of Spanish shot came successful 2018 with Europa League and UEFA Super Cup wins.Their elimination by Real Madrid successful the Champions League aft Julian Alvarez's arguable 'double-touch' punishment was disallowed sent them into a spiral, which they lone managed to shingle disconnected successful the last weeks of the season, aft their chances of occurrence had vanished.