🔊 Can Lionel Messi add another trophy to his collection? The Club World Cup is finally here, kicking off with a Group A clash where Egyptian side Al Ahly, as the nominal hosts, face Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium. What can we expect from the tournament's opening match, and who stands as the favorite in this upcoming encounter? To craft an insightful prediction, let's delve into the latest updates on each team.

Head-to-Head

📊 These teams have never faced each other before – the upcoming match will mark the first-ever head-to-head encounter between Al-Ahli and Inter Miami.

Ahly Team Overview

🔴 José Rivera's squad heads into the tournament in high spirits as the "Red Devils" clinched their third consecutive Egyptian Premier League title. The team also came close to reaching the final of the African Champions League, but their campaign ended at the semifinal stage.

🔗 Nevertheless, as they prepare for their trip to the USA, the club boasts an impressive unbeaten streak of eight matches: two draws and six consecutive wins.

⚽ Upon arriving in North America, Al Ahly managed to fit in a friendly match as part of their tournament preparation. A few days ago in Florida, the Egyptians faced off against Mexico's Pachuca. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, but in the penalty shootout, the Mexican side emerged victorious with a 5-3 win.

🔝 Special attention should be given to midfielder Emam Ashour, who became the top scorer and assist provider in the Egyptian Premier League, amassing 20 points in the goal+assist system (13 goals and 7 assists) over 23 matches.

Inter Miami Team Overview

🟣 Unlike the Egyptian club, Javier Mascherano's team hasn't played any friendlies ahead of the Club World Cup — Inter Miami remain in competitive form as the MLS season is in full swing. After 16 rounds in the Eastern Conference, the Herons sit in third place with 29 points: 8 wins, 5 draws, and 3 losses.

🔗 The team approaches the tournament in good form: a draw against Philadelphia Union (3-3) was followed by convincing victories over Montreal (4-2) and Columbus Crew (5-1).

🔝 Team captain Lionel Messi is Inter Miami's top scorer and assist provider this season. In 13 MLS matches, the Argentine has tallied 17 points in the goal+assist system: 10 goals and 7 assists.

Latest news

Ahly

🎙 A brief excerpt from an interview with captain and goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy ahead of the Club World Cup kickoff: “Of course, participating in such a tournament is always a special occasion. This is the first-ever edition of the Club World Cup in its new format, featuring big names and tough opponents. All the players are highly motivated; everyone wants to achieve something significant—for themselves, for the Egyptian people, and, of course, for Al Ahly's fans. We are fortunate to play in the opening match against Inter Miami. It's a great honor. We face a formidable opponent with stars like Messi, Suarez, and others. We are particularly focused on this match. The whole world will be watching: the media, television—everyone is discussing this tournament. We want to go as far as possible.”

❌ Since late December 2024, attacking midfielder Slim Reda has been sidelined as the Moroccan recovers from a hyaline cartilage injury.

Inter Miami

🎙 Spanish football legend and Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets shared his thoughts ahead of the Club World Cup: “It’s incredibly exciting to play in the FIFA Club World Cup against the world’s top clubs. We’ve been eagerly awaiting this moment. What’s even more important is that we’ll play two matches in our city, in our country, with the support of our fans... It’s every footballer’s dream to participate in events of this magnitude and in such tournaments. I’m thrilled to start the tournament at home, in front of our fans, and I understand how crucial it is to get off to a good start. We’re up against a very strong team used to these competitions. Al Ahly are one of Africa’s most successful clubs. We’re expecting a very tough match.”

📸 Interestingly, the tournament will feature a special “Messi camera” – allowing viewers to focus exclusively on Leo’s actions throughout the match.

❌ Among the players listed for the tournament, some are dealing with various injuries: goalkeeper Drake Callender, defenders Jordi Alba and Gonzalo Luján, midfielders Yannick Bright, David Ruiz, and Baltasar Gallego Rodriguez. Their participation in the upcoming match remains uncertain.

⚽ Goal Predictions

⚽ Goal Predictions

As these teams are meeting for the first time and hail from leagues of different calibers, we rely on their current form. Al-Ahli have found the net in 9 of their last 10 matches. Inter Miami have scored in 8 of their last 10 games, with over 2.5 goals scored in 9 of those contests. Given this data, it's reasonable to predict that both teams will find the back of the net, possibly more than once. Our pick: bet on over 2.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Predictions

Looking at the stats from the last 10 matches for both teams, Al-Ahli average 4.6 corners per game, while Inter Miami average 5.9. Considering the higher attacking activity from the American side, especially on home soil (despite being nominally the away team), we predict that Inter Miami will win the corner count.

Despite facing Egypt's top club, we see Inter Miami as the favorites for the upcoming clash. Firstly, the Americans boast a roster with notable names, even if some are veterans of the game. Secondly, the team is in the thick of the MLS season, providing them with a competitive edge, while Al Ahly have played only one friendly over the past two and a half weeks. An additional factor is the venue—playing in Miami gives Inter a significant home advantage with strong local support. Our prediction: Inter Miami to win with a handicap (0). Expected scoreline – 3-2.