‘Clearly marketing’ – USMNT legend offers scathing verdict on Lionel Messi’s Club World Cup qualification
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami competing at the Club World Cup next summer hasn’t gone down well with former USMNT boss Bruce Arena.
The MLS side qualified for the tournament after winning the Supporters’ Shield, which is awarded to the team in the league with the best regular season record.
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Led by Messi, the club won 22 of their 34 games, drawing four and losing eight.
However, FIFA’s decision to award Inter Miami a spot in the Club World Cup has drawn criticism.
The MLS playoffs have only recently kicked-off, and the winners of the MLS Cup will not be crowned until December.
While Inter Miami may go on to win the title, for now they are nothing more than the best team in the Eastern Conference, but have been awarded the only spot in the Club World Cup regardless.
Legendary USMNT coach, Arena, believes their inclusion is wrong.
“It’s clearly marketing, for sure,” he told Hawksbee and Jacobs on talkSPORT.
“Is Inter Miami the sole representative of Major League Soccer? If that’s the case, I think that’s wrong.
“I don’t agree with it. But obviously, Messi is going to bring a lot of attention.”
Arena’s thoughts were recently echoed by another USMNT icon, Alexi Lalas, who suggested that Inter Miami’s qualification is ‘disingenuous’.
“There was no qualifying process laid out ahead of time. When teams and players don’t know what they’re ultimately playing for, I think it’s disingenuous to say that you qualified for a tournament,” Lalas said.
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“I don’t think anybody is looking at Inter Miami representing MLS and the US in this tournament that’s coming next summer as a bad thing, but it never should have gotten to that, it should have been done ahead of time.
“Gianni Infantino even said they will be hosting the first game in Miami, so it’s all about Miami and Messi, using him as a promotional vehicle for this Club World Cup that needs promotion.”
Whether Arena and Lalas like it or not, Inter Miami will be competing amongst the best clubs in the world next summer.
That means their Barcelona stars of the past, Messi, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, could come up against the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, who have already qualified for the tournament.
Ahead of the Club World Cup, Inter Miami will be focusing on winning the MLS Playoffs.
They are in a best-of-three series in the first round against Atlanta United, and won 2-1 in the first match at home, thanks to goals from Suarez and Jordi Alba.
A win away on Saturday night would see Inter Miami complete a clean sweep and move on to face either Orlando City or Charlotte FC in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
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