Inter Miami will open their 2025 FIFA Club World Cup campaign against Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium, kicking off one of the most anticipated tournaments of the year. However, the South Florida side has been dealt a significant setback, as Lionel Messi will be without three key teammates for the opening match.
Following the FIFA international break, the Herons played their last MLS match on May 31. As players returned from national team duty, head coach Javier Mascherano began final preparations for the Club World Cup debut. Yet on the eve of the match, Mascherano confirmed that Jordi Alba, Yannick Bright, and Gonzalo Lujan will miss the game due to injury.
During Friday’s pre-match press conference, Mascherano addressed the absences: “As for Jordi (Alba), Yannick (Bright), and Gonza (Lujan), they won’t be available for this match. Hopefully by the second game—maybe not all three—but at least two or even one of them will be back.”
The coach also reflected on the team’s ability to adapt despite a series of setbacks. “Unfortunately, we’ve had a lot of injuries over the past 20 days that have weakened us as a group—not so much as a team, because throughout the season we’ve dealt with injuries, and the players who had to step in due to injury or replace someone have delivered. So that gives us a certain level of reassurance,” he stated.
Both Lujan and Alba suffered muscular injuries in Inter Miami’s 4–2 win over CF Montreal on May 28, with Alba pulling up early due to a right hamstring strain. Bright sustained his injury during the 3–3 draw against the Philadelphia Union on May 24 and has not returned to full fitness since.
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Despite the challenges, Inter Miami found form heading into the tournament with back-to-back wins. Still, Messi will be without one of his longtime Barcelona teammates in Alba, and Mascherano will need to adjust tactically in the absence of key players in both midfield and defense.
Expectations for the game vs. Al Ahly
Inter Miami was drawn into Group A alongside FC Porto (Portugal), Palmeiras (Brazil), and Al Ahly (Egypt)—the latter seen by some as the group’s underdog. However, Mascherano urged caution when asked about the Egyptian club.
“Al Ahly is one of the biggest teams in Africa. It’s a club that wins its league quite regularly and with relative ease. They’ve made five signings specifically for this Club World Cup—something that hasn’t happened in our case. They also recently changed coaches—coming from South African league—but that won’t change much.
“They have a defined style of play: very physical, as is typical of African teams, and they’ve got some interesting players, especially from midfield forward,” Mascherano added, emphasizing the importance of a strong start in what could be a pivotal opening match.
