Al Ahly has dominated the Egyptian national championship, but going to the world arena will be a difficult task for them this summer.
Al Ahly has the best record in history of 45 top-flight titles in Egypt and has qualified for the 10th Club World Cup after winning the CAF Champions League 2020-2021, 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
Only Real Madrid (5) and Auckland City (3) have won more continental club-level trophies than Al Ahly (12). This is also the highest-ranked African team in the world and they have performed well in previous Club World Cups, having won third place 4 times in this decade.
New coach Jose Riveiro - who was appointed in April - will face a big task in Group A. The Spanish coach is preparing for his first official match leading the team from Cairo.
On the other side, Inter Miami is a strong candidate for a ticket to the next round in this group, having one of the most prominent teams in American football.
All attention will certainly be on Lionel Messi, who won 3 Club World Cup titles during his time playing with Barcelona.
This time, Miami was given a place in the Club World Cup after winning the 2024 MLS Supporters' Shield and setting a record for points in a season (74 points after 34 matches).
Inter Miami's form ahead of the Club World Cup is not very impressive, as they have only won 4 out of their last 12 matches in all competitions (3 draws, 5 losses).
Fans will expect an exciting match, creating the premise for the group stage. Messi and his teammates are highly appreciated, but Al Ahly deserves to be respected for his experience and bravery.
Expected lineup
Al Ahly: El Shenawy; Hany, Rabia, Ibrahim, Debes; El Solia, Ashour, ateya; Mohamed, Trezeguet; Abou Ali
Inter Miami: Ustari; Weigandt, Falcon, Lujan, Allen; Allende, Cremaschi, Busquets, Segovia; Messi, Suarez
