Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano is hoping that Lionel Messi’s memories of his unhappy time at Paris Saint-Germain will fire him up for the clash between the two teams in the Club World Cup on June 29.

Miami were surprise qualifiers from Group A after beating Porto and drawing with Palmeiras and Al Ahly, and now face the daunting task of playing the recently crowned European champions.

Messi joined Miami after two seasons in the French capital and made clear he had not enjoyed his time with PSG.

“It’s clear that it would better for us if he was angry, because he’s one of those players who, when he has something in mind, gives a bit extra,” Mascherano told ESPN.

The Argentine coach was clear though that the emotions will be less than if Messi were up against PSG on European soil rather than facing his old team in Atlanta.

“I think that’s in the past now, it’s another story. Also, the fact that it’s here in the United States, I don’t think the atmosphere will be the same, but what we will try to do is play a great game,” he added.

“We know that in order to have a chance, we have to play a perfect game, and well, we’ll go for it.”

After joining Miami in Major League Soccer, Messi reflected on his time in Paris saying it had been “difficult”.

“I spent two years that I didn’t enjoy. I wasn’t happy on a day-to-day basis, with the training sessions, the games, I found it hard to adapt to all that,” he said.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner will face a very different PSG to the one that he left with the club having been transformed under Spanish coach Luis Enrique.

Enrique is a familiar face for several of the Miami team who played under him at Barcelona.

Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Messi and Mascherano all featured for Enrique’s Barca, winning the treble under him in 2015.

“I’ve said it infinite times. For me, he’s the best – I think not just as a coach, but also how he manages the group,” said Alba, who also worked with Enrique with the Spanish national team.

“He’s a phenomenon. I’m excited to see him, as well as his entire staff. I’ll give him a hug but when the ref blows the opening whistle, try to beat him. Which is what all of us here are trying to do.”

Suarez, who scored in the 2-2 draw with Palmeiras on June 23, was also full of praise for the Spanish coach.

“For me, along with Maestro (Oscar) Tabarez of the (Uruguay) national team, he was the most important coach of my career, for what they taught me, for what I learnt in the day-to-day with them,” he said.

“He’s a coach who influenced me greatly. I already had a competitive DNA, but he injected even more into me. He taught me how to move within a space where I had to play a role I wasn’t used to, not touching the ball a lot… Not to mention on a personal level, a relationship of great respect and admiration for what he generated for us as players.”

Mascherano, in his first club coaching job, said he remains a personal friend of the PSG coach and his family.

“That is the beautiful thing about football sometimes,” he said.

“You face these kind of things and, well, in my opinion, I do not deserve this as a coach just yet. But yes, it will be a very beautiful opportunity. I always wish him all the best; that won’t be the case for Sunday. I hope luck will be on our side on Sunday. But yes, I have a very good relationship with him. I appreciate him a lot.”

-AFP

Chelsea’s new striker Liam Delap scored his first goal for the club on Tuesday to help the London side secure a spot in the Club World Cup round of 16 with a 3-0 win against Esperance de Tunis.

Delap, a 30 million pounds ($40.84 million) signing from Ipswich Town earlier this month, has settled in well and his quick progress will please coach Enzo Maresca given Chelsea will be without striker Nicolas Jackson against Benfica on Saturday following his red card against Flamengo.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

One of the summer’s most-wanted young strikers, Delap looks like he can give Chelsea the spark they were missing with his excitement and energy. Maresca is pleased with what he is seeing from the forward and expects big things from him.

KEY QUOTES:

Chelsea manager Maresca: “I’m pleased with Liam, with him scoring for us, but against Flamengo he had three clear chances to score goals, so that is already a good feeling because that means that he’s there, he’s in the right position, he’s doing well. Unfortunately, he didn’t score against Flamengo, and tonight he scored. We know that Liam is going to score goals with us, and we don’t have any doubt about that.

“The process quite quick with Liam, and the reason why is because we know him, and he knows us in the way we want to play. So, for instance, for Dario Essugo, or for Mamadou Sarr, or even for Andrey that he was just with us last pre-season, it’s going to be a little bit more complicated.

“They need more time because they don’t know the way we want to play exactly. But Liam, as I said, we know each other very well. So, the process for him is quite quick, and then it’s also because he’s a very good player.”

-Reuters

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Morocco has a growing track record of successfully hosting major football tournaments. It is positioning itself as a strong candidate to stage the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

The global spotlight is currently on the United States. It is set to host the inaugural edition of the Club World Cup in its expanded format.

Attention is already shifting toward the next cycle. Several nations, including Morocco, have reportedly signaled their interest in staging the 2029 tournament.

According to British journalist Ben Jacobs, “the United States, Spain, Brazil, and Morocco have already expressed interest in hosting the 2029 edition.

However, no decision is expected from FIFA in the immediate future.”

Spain has also made its ambitions clear. Local media reports that Rafael Louzán, President of the Spanish Football Federation, recently met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

He conveyed Spain’s desire to host a major FIFA competition. This would be ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup. The country will co-host the event alongside Portugal and Morocco.

For its part, Morocco continues to bolster its international reputation as a dependable host for top-tier football events.

The North African nation is already set to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). It will also host the 2024 Women’s AFCON.

Additionally, the country is hosting the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the Futsal AFCON. This string of high-profile tournaments reinforces Morocco’s status as a rising power in football administration and event management.

Speculation is growing around a potential joint bid between Spain and Morocco for the 2029 Club World Cup.

Such a partnership would offer both countries a valuable opportunity to test their infrastructure, fine-tune operational logistics, and strengthen cross-border cooperation just a year ahead of the 2030 World Cup.

The Club World Cup could act as a dress rehearsal. It may help identify and resolve potential challenges before football’s biggest global event.

FIFA has not yet announced a timeline for selecting the 2029 host. Morocco’s steady accumulation of experience could make it a leading contender. Its growing international profile could also be influential when the decision is made.