Amid injuries and uncertainty, Inter Miami's Club World Cup debut fast approaches
By the time the first official FIFA Club World Cup practice began Monday morning, it was already 90 degrees on Inter Miami's practice pitch.
Even without key players Lionel Messi, Fafa Picault, and Telasco Segovia — who are all out of the country on international fixtures for FIFA World Cup qualifying matches — the men in pink got down to business quickly, running shooting and passing drills.
Fans are waiting anxiously for Inter Miami's first stint in the Club World Cup, which takes place Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium. The team will open the tournament against Egyptian club Al Ahly, but it's a difficult bet to make on how Miami will fare in the tournament. The team had a particularly treacherous May, losing MLS matches to Minnesota and Orlando and drawing San Jose and Philadelphia.
By the end of the month, the team had been mocked mercilessly on social media, and fans were calling for new head coach Javier Mascherano's firing. Before their games versus Montreal and Columbus, Miami had dropped to sixth place in the MLS Eastern Conference standings — a far cry from their high ride at the same time in 2024.
But with the Club World Cup fast approaching, the team seemed to turn a corner, blowing out both Montreal and Columbus, 4-2 and 5-1, respectively, to end the month. Once the rest of the star-studded roster returns, things could be looking up for Miami entering the tournament.
Except many key players still appear to be down for the count.
Star left back Jordi Alba and center back Gonzalo Luján were not present at the first official Club World Cup practice. Both sustained unspecified muscle injuries during the team's win over Montreal and have yet to return.
Similarly, midfielder Yannick Bright, who suffered a hamstring injury during the team's match versus Philadelphia was off training and rehabbing to the side with fellow midfielder David Ruiz.
Ruiz sustained an injury early in the season and has been out since March. Both midfielders spent the hot, Monday morning practice working on cardio and agility, but notably did not work with the ball or the rest of the team on any shooting or passing drills.
In happier news for Inter Miami fans, both goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who just signed a contract extension with the team through 2026, and 20-year-old center back Tomas Aviles were back training with the team Monday morning following injuries which took them off the roster in mid-May.
They looked to be in top form – Aviles worked through all of practice with the majority of the team on the pitch, while Ustari kept ball after ball out of the net during drills with fellow goalkeepers Rocco Ríos Novo and Will Yarbrough.
But with a crucial week for the team ahead, it's ultimately uncertain who will take the field versus Al Ahly on Saturday. Will Ustari's and Aviles' return to practice keep them in good shape for the match? How will Messi, Picault, and Segovia, alongside rising young stars Benjamin Cremaschi and Santiago Morales, fare during their time abroad?
Only time will tell.
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