Al Ahly v Inter Miami: Club World Cup 2025 opening match – live updates

Formations, schnormations …

Fifa and TBS/DAZN disagree on how these teams will line up. ESPN disagrees even more. They have Al Ahly in a 4-3-2-1, the old “Christmas tree” formation, and they say Inter will play in a 4-2-3-1 with Suarez as the lone forward. MLSSoccer.com agrees, but they switch a couple of Al Ahly’s players.

GK: 18 Oscar Ustari – Aging Argentinian claimed starting spot this year

D: 6 Tomas Aviles – Also from Argentina, but barely half Ustari’s age

D: 17 Ian Fray – Homegrown Miami player

D: 32 Noah Allen – Homegrown player, though he switched his nationality to Greece

D: 37 Maximiliano Falcon – Uruguayan joined Miami this year

M: 5 Sergio Busquets – Yes, that Busquets

M: 8 Telasco Segovia – Venezuelan new to club

M: 55 Federico Redondo – No, not that Redondo. He’s Fernando’s son and an Argentine youth international

F: 9 Luis Suarez – Yes, that Luis Suarez

F: 10 Lionel Messi – Yes, that Messi

F: 21 Tadeo Allende – Argentina player on loan from Spain’s Celta de Vigo

Fifa says 4-3-3. TBS says two forwards.

The Al Ahly side are overwhelmingly domestic. A few players from Morocco dot the roster, and they have Slovenian Nejc Gradišar on the bench.

One familiar name is Trézéguet – no, not David. It’s actually a Brazilian-style nickname for an Egyptian player Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan. He spent a few years with Aston Villa before a spell in Turkey and a return back to the club with which he started.

US fans who recall the 1998 World Cup should look away for a moment …

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… ready?

The Fifa site says Al Ahly will line up in a 3-6-1, the formation that became the subject of much consternation after the USA’s ignominious departure from the 1998 Cup.

TBS/DAZN, our US broadcaster for this event, says it’s four at the back.

Starting XI:

GK : 1 Mohamed El Shenawy – long-serving captain starts for Egypt

D: 6 Yasser Ibrahim – 32-year-old has spent entire career in Egypt

D: 15 Achraf Dari – Moroccan player had short spell with Brest in France

D: 30 Mohamed Hany – started for Egypt at right back in last game

M: 5 Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane – Tunisian player; new to club this year

M: 7 Trézéguet – Egyptian national starter

M: 8 Hamdy Fathy – substitute in last Egypt’s last game

M: 13 Marawan Attia – another player who has stayed in Egypt for his whole career so far

M: 22 Emam Ashour – very short spell in Denmark

M: 36 Ahmed Koka – defensive mid in Egypt’s last game

F: 9 Wessam Abou Ali – Danish-born player represents Palestine internationally

If you’ve ever wanted to see Lionel Messi take on EPL opposition in a meaningful game, tonight’s your night.

You did mean Egyptian Premier League, didn’t you?

It’s not just an Egyptian team, of course. It’s Al-Ahly FC, winners of 12 African Champions League tournaments, including four of the last six.

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Barney Ronay’s latest dispatch from Miami.