Inter Miami vs Al Ahly preview, players to watch, team news, line-ups, and prediction

Egyptian Premier League champions Al Ahly will square off against MLS side Inter Miami in the curtain-raiser of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Scheduled for Sunday, June 15, 2025, the fixture will mark the start of the tournament in the United States. Before the draw, Inter had already been assigned the last berth in Group A, but their first opponent was only recently confirmed.

Group A comprises SE Palmeiras, FC Porto, Al Ahly FC, and Inter Miami. With SE Palmeiras drawn from Pot 1, they are set to clash with FC Porto in their opening encounter, leaving Al Ahly to take on Inter in the tournament’s inaugural game. Al Ahly vs Inter Miami tickets have been selling well so we can expect a good crowd for the opening game.

José Riveiro’s side gained automatic qualification as a result of lifting the CAF Champions League title in 2021, 2023, and 2024. Inter Miami, meanwhile, earned their position by winning the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield, concluding a historic campaign — a selection confirmed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

Joining Seattle Sounders, who booked their place by clinching the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup, the Herons become the second MLS team to feature in the competition.

Should Inter finish top of Group A, they will face the Group B runners-up. That group includes Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Botafogo, and Seattle Sounders. If Inter end second, they will instead encounter the Group B winners.

Heading into the competition, the Herons are enjoying a strong run of results. Since their 3-0 defeat to the Lions, the Herons have drawn 3-3 with Philadelphia, defeated CF Montréal 4-2, and dismantled the Columbus Crew 5-1. Lionel Messi contributed two goals and three assists in the thrashing of Columbus — his second time registering five goal involvements in a single MLS outing.

Now, with a week’s rest ahead, Inter Miami prepare to face Al Ahly, Porto, and Palmeiras in the upcoming Club World Cup.

Al Ahly earned qualification to the tournament by clinching the CAF Champions League in the 2020/21, 2022/23, and 2023/24 campaigns. They beat Kaizer Chiefs to claim the 2020/21 title and then won back the crown in 2022/23 by overcoming Wydad, the side that had denied them in the 2021/22 final. Their triumph this term also enabled Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Esperance of Tunisia to secure places in the tournament based on their ranking positions.

Established in 1907, Nadi Al-Watanniyah boasts the most enormous fan following in Egypt and ranks among the most celebrated teams on the African continent. Having experienced numerous victorious spells, the club has amassed 45 Egyptian League championships, 39 Egyptian Cup titles, and 12 CAF Champions League crowns. Their supremacy is further highlighted by their record tally, which significantly eclipses that of domestic rivals Zamalek.

However, this squad has primarily impressed within the African continent and remains relatively untested on a global platform. For instance, their standout player, Emam Ashour, has netted 40 goals in Egypt’s top division but has only managed one goal in five games for Danish club FC Midtjylland and has failed to score in 16 appearances for the Egyptian national team.

Nonetheless, as with all global competitions, national pride is on the line – and Al Ahly have no shortage of motivation. Supporters will be watching closely, along with scouts from the leagues represented at the tournament. A standout showing from either Ashour or emerging Slovenian striker Nejc Gradišar could result in a significant transfer to another club.

The team will also take encouragement from past Club World Cup campaigns, having reached the third-place match in the 2020, 2021, and 2023 editions – although this year’s competition introduces a significant shift with its expanded structure.

As Egypt’s record champions aim to begin the tournament positively, overcoming a star-laden Inter Miami side would represent a significant shock – but it is precisely this kind of unpredictability that makes these global tournaments so thrilling.

Al Ahly players to watch

Several of Al Ahly’s standout names are set to make an impression on the international scene this summer, but none loom larger than Ashour. Regularly likened to Egyptian icon Mohamed Aboutrika, the midfielder’s career hasn’t unfolded as hoped. Following a much-publicised switch from Zamalek to Midtjylland, he struggled to match expectations.

Still, within the Egyptian top tier, he remains highly effective. It’s rare to find central midfielders capable of hitting double figures for goals while also supplying assists, underlining the 27-year-old’s attacking influence.

Also worth attention is experienced goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, a revered figure at Al Ahly and holder of 64 national team caps.

Having represented Egypt on 64 occasions, he managed to register clean sheets in eight of his 18 domestic matches this term. In the CAF Champions League, he recorded six shut-outs across 11 games.

More significantly, he remained unbeaten during normal time at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December, keeping both Al-Ain and Pacheco from scoring before losing on penalties to the latter.

Now preparing to face dangerous forward lines featuring Lionel Messi, as well as those from Inter Miami, Palmeiras, and FC Porto, can the 36-year-old summon the kind of goalkeeping display that might enable Al Ahly to pull off a surprise?

Will Lionel Messi be involved?

Lionel Messi’s inclusion in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is the result of FIFA’s decision to assign the host nation berth to Inter Miami, who clinched the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield by finishing with the best record across the regular season. Though Inter Miami did not claim the MLS Cup, their league form was sufficient to confirm their qualification.

The move to confirm Miami’s spot before the conclusion of the MLS season has sparked debate, with some critics implying it might have been motivated by a desire to guarantee Messi’s presence. Having joined the team in 2023, Messi’s enormous global appeal, coupled with limited public enthusiasm for the Club World Cup, may have prompted FIFA to view his participation as a strategy to boost interest and enhance the tournament’s exposure.

Although Messi is approaching 38—he turns that age on June 24—his sharpness, intelligence, and exceptional control remain undiminished. Although his pace may have declined from his prime, his tactical awareness and influence remain undiminished. With a progressively stronger squad around him in MLS, he contributes invaluable experience and a champion’s mindset that could help inspire Inter Miami on football’s global stage.

Team news

Midfielder Baltasar Rodriguez will remain unavailable to Inter Miami until mid-June, making his involvement in the opening fixture of the Club World Cup on 15th June uncertain. David Ruiz and Yannick Bright are also sidelined at present, and doubts persist over their availability—not just for the opening clash but for the tournament in its entirety.

Veteran midfielder Sergio Busquets, an icon from his Barcelona days, is expected to partner with the industrious Federico Redondo in midfield, while attackers Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez appear to be Javier Mascherano’s likely picks in the forward line.

With goalkeeper Drake Callender and centre-back Gonzalo Lujan ruled out, fans might witness a defensive pairing of Noah Allen and Maximiliano Falcon, lining up in front of Oscar Ustari, who will likely start between the posts.

Updated information from the media has outlined the injury status of Karim Fouad, Mohamed Abdullah, Ahmed Abdelkader, and Reda Slim—all of whom are Al Ahly players—regarding their travel arrangements for the Club World Cup in the United States.

Reports from Egypt suggest that Mohamed Abdullah has now recovered from the injury suffered during the Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and is cleared to join Al Ahly’s delegation heading to the tournament.

Further updates confirm that Karim Fouad has returned to training with the squad following a prolonged spell out due to a cruciate ligament injury. However, his prospects of being selected for the Club World Cup remain low.

Elsewhere, Ahmed Abdelkader is continuing his recovery and therapy regime following the injury sustained while representing Qatar SC during his loan tenure.

As for Reda Slim, he has entered a new stage in his rehabilitation, beginning light jogging around the training pitch, but remains outside the club’s plans for the upcoming Club World Cup campaign.

Predicted starting lineup

Inter Miami predicted starting lineup

Ustari; Fray, Falcon, Allen, Alba; Allende, Redondo, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suarez.

Al Ahly predicted starting lineup:

El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, El Aash, Koka; Attia, Ashour, El Solia; T.M., Bencharki: Abou Ali.

Prediction

Al Ahly’s pedigree in this tournament, along with its CAF Champions League dominance, will certainly count for something—yet it may still fall short in a group packed with elite offensive talent, including the likes of Lionel Messi and Samu Omorodion.

The side is noticeably short of a reliable source of goals, and identifying a specific advantage they might hold over their more illustrious group rivals—whose financial power in wages and transfer fees dwarfs Al Ahly’s—is no easy task.

Even so, Group A lacks an overwhelming front-runner, which could play into the hands of the Egyptian giants. If results in the group are closely contested, and Al Ahly can hold Inter Miami to a draw in the first match, it might provide the platform for a shock result deeper into the group—offering them a lifeline.

On the flip side, could Messi end his Club World Cup journey on a triumphant note by steering Inter Miami to glory?

The MLS side recently endured a demanding spell but have managed to regain stability.

All eyes ahead of the Club World Cup are fixed firmly on Europe’s powerhouses—PSG, fresh from a Champions League triumph; Real Madrid, now under a new manager with a revamped roster; and Manchester City, coming off an underwhelming domestic campaign. But several teams may be quietly building momentum beneath the radar.

With Messi orchestrating play, Inter Miami could emerge as one of those stealth contenders. Toppling European champions will be a monumental task, no doubt. Still, with home advantage and growing momentum, they may be peaking at just the right time to surprise a few.

We’re predicting a 2-1 win for Inter Miami.