"Club World Cup No. 1 is Messi" soccer legend Xavi's "Thumbs up""He is the player who made the difference between Spain and Barcelona"

Dec 06, 2024

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'Club World Cup No. 1 is Messi' soccer legend Xavi's 'Thumbs up''He is the player who made the difference between Spain and Barcelona'

Oct 19, 2024; Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) celebrates scoring during the second half against the New England Revolutionat Chase Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY<저작권자(c) Yonhap News, 무단 전재-재배포,

Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, left, and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham talks before the ceremony of the Supporters' Shield after their match against the New England Revolution at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. (David Santiago/Miami Herald via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

"Messi is still number one."

With the draw for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 confirmed, soccer star Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) is expected to emerge as the best player.

Messi has been confirmed as the protagonist of the prelude to the Club World Cup. As a result of the draw for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held in Miami on the 6th (Korea time), Messi's Miami was in Group A along with Faumeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), and Al-Ahli (Egypt).

Miami will play its opening game against Al-Ahli on June 15 next year. Messi appeared from the beginning of the tournament, attracting the attention of soccer fans around the world. It is the first time Messi has appeared on the international stage since he led Argentina to the top at the Qatar World Cup and was selected as the best player.

Whether Messi, who is showing off his skills in Miami 'Unprecedented', will show his true value at the Club World Cup is a matter of extraordinary interest.

<YONHAP PHOTO-0177> The best forward and player of the year FC Barcelona's Argentinian Lionel Messi, left, and the best midfielder Xavi Hernandez, hold their trophies during the UEFA Champions League draw at the Grimaldi Forum, in Monaco, Thursday Aug. 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)/2009-08-2906:26:50/

In the meantime, Messi's longtime best friend Xavi Hernandez, former Barcelona coach, praised Messi. Hernandez, who attended the draw, emphasized in an interview with 'FIFA.com "Messi is still the number one."

Hernandez and Messi played together for Spain's prestigious FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2015. For this reason, Hernandez, who knows Messi better than anyone else, said, `The difference between Barcelona and the Spanish national team is the difference between Messi and him,' adding, `There is no Messi in the Spanish national team.' Messi is a player who can make a big difference in the field."

Hernandez, who also played for the Spanish national team and retired as a legend. If Barcelona and the Spanish national team's power were compared, Barcelona, which had Messi, would prevail, he praised the value of Messi's existence.

The Club World Cup will be held in a new way, with the number of participating teams increasing significantly from 7 teams to 32. From June 15 to July 13 next year, 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities will be held for about a month. The 32 teams will be divided into 8 groups of 4 teams, and the top 1st and 2nd teams in each group will go to the round of 16 tournaments.

Meanwhile, Ulsan HD, the representative of the K-League, was drawn in Group F with Mamelodi, Fluminense and Dortmund in this draw.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.