FIFA said the Club World Cup, billed as "The Best v The Best," would be merit-based. Then it gave a spot to Messi's Inter Miami before the playoffs even began.

Inter Miami named 29 players to their FIFA Club World Cup squad as Javier Mascherano and Lionel Messi prepare to defy the odds.

Egypt’s Al Ahly are used to continental attention and pre-eminence, but their next game will open them up to new audiences as Africa’s most successful club play against hosts Inter Miami in the city’s Hard Rock Stadium.