The moment has finally arrived for Monterrey to debut in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Liga MX side faces a major challenge in their first match, taking on one of the most competitive teams in Europe—Inter Milan. While the Italian giants are clear favorites on paper, veteran defender Sergio Ramos sees this as a golden opportunity to show the world what Monterrey is made of.
Inter has been in top form over the past few months, but their head coach Cristian Chivu admitted he doesn’t know much about his first opponent. While some might interpret that as dismissive, others see it as a chance for Rayados to take the element of surprise.
“With all due respect, we have little information on them,” Chivu said. “From what I’ve seen, they’re an aggressive, vertical team that enjoys keeping possession and has a lot of individual quality.”
Ramos confident in Rayados’ ability to compete
Sergio Ramos, who captains the Mexican side, took note of Chivu’s comments and believes they could work in Monterrey’s favor.
“Maybe they know four or five names on our squad, and that can actually be an advantage,” Ramos said. “The less they know about us, the better. Tomorrow, they’ll get to see the level of some of our players—guys with incredible talent who may not be well known yet.”
With four Club World Cup titles to his name from his time at Real Madrid, Ramos is no stranger to international tournaments. Now, his mission is to help Monterrey surpass their previous best performance in the competition.
“We came here to go toe-to-toe with any team. At this level, it’s about the small details and mentality. We’re ready to play fearless soccer against anyone.”
Ramos: Liga MX has talent but needs growth
The Spanish center back also addressed the broader perception of Mexican football, expressing belief in its potential while acknowledging there’s work to be done.
“Mexican soccer has tons of talent, no doubt about it. But there’s still room for improvement in areas like mindset, training habits, and professionalism. These things need to be fine-tuned for the league to truly become elite.”
Hoping to avoid Real Madrid?
When asked about his former club, Ramos didn’t hide his admiration.
“This tournament has some of the best teams in the world, and Real Madrid is always a favorite—especially now with Xabi Alonso in charge. He knows the club inside out and has won it all.”
