FIFA gives Club World Cup new opening day for Messi, Inter Miami. MetLife also gets both semifinals
FIFA President Gianni Infantino' and Former professional Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo present a new trophy during the draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup soccer tournament, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Rebecca Blackwell]
ZURICH (AP) — The 2025 Club World Cup will now kick off one day earlier with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami opening the monthlong tournament on June 14 against Al Ahly of Egypt. FIFA published a schedule for the 32-team event that ends with a week of games at MetLife Stadium near New York. FIFA has now brought forward the opening game to a Saturday, at an 8 p.m. local time in Miami for Messi and the hometown team to play Al Ahly of Egypt. The kickoff time is 3 a.m. in Cairo. MetLife Stadium will stage the final on July 13, both semifinals and the last quarterfinal.
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