Inter Miami deserves invitation to Club World Cup – ​​Martino

Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino confirmed that FIFA has not yet selected the additional MLS participant for the 2025 Club World Cup, but insists the Herons now have the “football fundamentals” to secure a place in the tournament to secure.

The 2025 edition of the competition will be held in the United States and will feature 32 teams, expanding the traditional capacity of seven clubs.

FIFA has allocated four spots to Concacaf, allowing Monterrey (2021 Concacaf Champions League winners), Seattle Sounders (2022 Concacaf Champions League winners), León (2023 Concacaf Champions League winners) and Pachuca (2024 Concacaf Champions Cup winners) to participate can.

But the United States received an additional ticket to the tournament as host, inspiring FIFA to choose another MLS participant.

“No, we all have more or less the same information,” Martino said in a press conference on Friday. “(Being selected) could very well be possible, but I would like to repeat something I said after winning the game. It seems to me that we now have the football fundamentals to deserve this place and that gives us a lot of peace of mind, regardless of what can be resolved later.

Martino was referring to the Supporters' Shield, which Inter Miami won on October 2 after a 3-2 win over Columbus Crew.

The Herons won the title with 68 points in 32 games, winning their first MLS title since debuting as an expansion franchise in 2020.

The Supporters' Shield is one of two major trophies in MLS and is won by the team with the best overall regular season record to reward consistency over a 34-game season.

However, FIFA may also choose to award the additional Club World Cup to the undetermined winner of the 2024 MLS Cup.

The team will now turn their attention to Saturday's game against Toronto FC, their third game in a week.

Martino hinted at the possibility of resting Lionel Messi and other players who played important roles in the last two games against Charlotte FC and Columbus Crew.

“Well, let's see, both for him and for the rest of the players who played and especially coming off two very difficult games like the ones in Charlotte and Columbus,” Martino said.

“We'll just take that into account, the accumulation of minutes. However, in Leo's case, we understand that the accumulation of minutes gets him back into the rhythm of football and that is clearly what is happening.”

“But it’s also not about tiring yourself out. We have another training session in the afternoon and there we will decide the players who will be in the starting eleven. I haven’t decided on the team yet.”

Inter Miami is still trying to break the MLS record for most points scored in a season by winning its remaining two games.

The New England Revolution currently holds the record with 73 points in the 2021 season, but Inter Miami could clinch the title with 74 points if they get two more wins.

Messi last played for Barcelona at the Club World Cup in 2015, his third appearance in the tournament.