Inter Miami and Al Ahly prepare for Club World Cup opener

The first expanded edition of the FIFA Club World Cup will begin on Saturday in Florida, with Inter Miami hosting Egyptian club Al Ahly.

Miami coach Javier Mascherano and his Al Ahly counterpart Jose Riveiro attended a pre-tournament event along with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Brazil legend Ronaldinho.

With its roster of big names and celebrity ownership in David Beckham, Miami will be in the spotlight, especially as FIFA paved the way for their qualifying by making a late decision to grant a Club World Cup berth to the winners of the 2024 MLS Supporters Shield, which they secured for having the most regular-season points. Al Ahly, meanwhile, got their berth as the winners of the 2020/21 CAF Champions League.

Mascherano and Riveiro spoke ahead of their clash, with the Al Ahly coach, noting the impact of players like Lionel Messi.

"Evidently, we are talking about a football player who changes everything, who for everyone is one of the best of all time. And the influence he has on everything that happens on a field of play is great. We know that," said Riveiro.

"It is a competition that we are very excited about, because we know that there is a level of clubs, not only in terms of hierarchy, but also in terms of history, and well, to be able to be part of this competition, especially in a club like Inter Miami that has been in existence for such a short time, I think it has to be exciting and that's a possibility that allows us to enjoy the tournament within our possibilities, and to try to do it in the best possible way," said Mascherano.