World football has entered a new era with stars Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius, Bellingham and the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. However, despite leaving the European football field, the story of two superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still has a certain attraction for fans.

FIFA has made no secret of its decision. When it comes to major broadcasting deals and sponsorships in the United States, the world’s most powerful football body has chosen a particularly brazen approach: it has recognized Inter Miami as “eligible” for the FIFA Club World Cup next summer in the United States.

The reason Messi and his teammates have tickets to participate in the tournament expanded to “32 top clubs in the world” is thanks to winning the Supporters’ Shield 2024 of the US Major League Soccer (MLS). And it is not surprising that the opening match will take place in Miami (USA).

It all seems to work out because it was meant to be. Inter Miami and Messi participating in a global tournament that desperately needs financial success certainly makes sense for FIFA. But is it common sense?

By awarding Inter Miami the Supporters’ Shield, a trophy/award given to the team with the best record in the MLS season but before the playoffs to determine the champion take place, FIFA creates controversy over the rules and transparency of the Club World Cup.

To be fair, Inter Miami just set an MLS record of 74 points in 34 games, achieved on the final day of the season (October 20), when they beat New England Revolution 6-2 with Messi scoring a hat-trick in 11 minutes off the bench and Luis Suarez scoring twice.

This is Inter Miami’s first MLS title since joining the league in 2020 and also follows their victory in the Leagues Cup (a tournament that brings together MLS teams and Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football) last year.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was at Inter Miami’s home stadium to celebrate winning the Supporters’ Shield, said: “You have proven that you are the best team in America. Therefore, I am proud to announce that, as one of the world’s leading clubs, you are fully qualified to participate in the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025.”

The FIFA President’s statement about Inter Miami’s deserving participation in the FIFA Club World Cup has many points to discuss. First, Inter Miami is not necessarily the “best club in America”, but they are only the leading team in the MLS Eastern Conference, which only occupies half of the tournament in the US and part of Canada.

Messi and his teammates have not actually proven their class in the entire land of the flag, just like declaring Celtic as the top club in the UK based on the Scottish championship.

Calling Inter Miami “one of the best clubs in the world” is also debatable, given the fact they are unlikely to beat a team like Crystal Palace. As the 31st club to enter the tournament and the only team to qualify through their domestic league, Inter Miami’s inclusion could feel like a bit of a biased choice.

Other teams that qualify for the Club World Cup are either successful in continental competitions or have a high ranking in their continent. Teams from other regions such as Europe, Africa, Asia and South America are also eligible for places based on their performance in major tournaments such as the UEFA Champions League or Libertadores.

The final team to qualify will be the 2024 Copa Libertadores champions, a rule that makes sense. Meanwhile, even if Chelsea qualify by virtue of winning the 2021 UEFA Champions League, that achievement still carries some credibility because the Blues have won the continental title.

There is nothing wrong with the host country getting a special entry into the tournament, just like the host country of the World Cup is guaranteed a place. However, the way FIFA announced that the club that won the Supporters’ Shield had a place in the Club World Cup lacked logic.

This decision creates the feeling that FIFA is trying to drag Messi into the tournament, in order to attract fans’ attention to topics such as Messi meeting his old coach Pep Guardiola and Man City, or clashing with his old team’s rival Real Madrid.

However, FIFA decided to rule on its own and chose the Supporters’ Shield winner instead of the MLS Cup winner (a title Inter Miami could win in December) or a playoff between the two if they were different, which is easy to laugh at.

Calling itself “the most comprehensive and fairest international club competition” while being unclear about the criteria further discredits the tournament, even though FIFA is trying to build a reputation for the world club championship. A farce surrounding Messi.

Halfway around the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s arch-rival, is retiring in Saudi Arabia and has just attracted attention after missing a penalty that led to Al Nassr’s elimination from the King’s Cup on October 30. CR7 receives a huge salary and faces teams far below him in terms of level, in a tournament where 14 out of 18 teams have an average attendance of less than 9,000.

Rivalries between football clubs may be well understood, but they are usually fought between teams, fan groups, or coaches who dislike each other.

But between players, it is quite unusual, especially when the rivalry crosses league and continent borders and when these players have not faced each other directly on the pitch for many years. In this case, between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the personal battle for dominance.

However, it seems that only one name is struggling in the quagmire of competition. Not long ago, Cristiano Ronaldo affirmed that he was not obsessed with having to win the World Cup, because for him the European Championship was equally important.

Not stopping there, C. Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Club just made a statement that surprised many people when someone seemed to have disrespected the Portuguese superstar during a tour of the team’s Mrsool Park stadium.

On October 19, a YouTuber, while sitting in Ronaldo’s place in the locker room, recreated the image of Messi in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, when he clasped his hands over his ears and turned towards Dutch coach Louis van Gaal.

“We would like to point out that Al Nassr has always welcomed everyone, from fans to club lovers. Throughout our long history, our doors have always been open to everyone,” the Saudi Pro League side said in a statement.

“However, what happened yesterday in the dressing room with the irresponsible individual actions was unacceptable, showing a lack of respect not only for the club but also for the fans.

They have disrespected the fans. We would like to clarify that at Al Nassr, we have instructed the relevant departments to immediately handle this matter to protect the club’s reputation, morals and assets. We also affirm that the doors and facilities of the club are always open to all fans, as long as they comply with the regulations,” Al Nassr added.

Anyway, Al Nassr should update the Terms and Conditions on their website. Are umbrellas allowed on the pitch? Yes, definitely! But power banks and Lionel Messi impersonations are not allowed.

173 million pounds per year and the status of a king are what C. Ronaldo received in Saudi Arabia. Not only CR7, surely no one would refuse such an attractive offer.

However, in an article published on the New York Times’ sports page The Athletic, writer Tim Spiers once raised the question: Is there a more refined and cultured way to behave when pocketing that amount of money?

In the semi-final of the Saudi Arabian Super Cup last season, Cristiano Ronaldo twice deliberately elbowed Ali Al-Bulayhi, a player famous for his provocative tactics.

Al-Bulayhi often targets stars, previously making headlines for pulling Son Heung Min’s hair at the Asian Cup, confronting Lionel Messi at the 2022 World Cup and even mocking Ronaldo after a match against Al Hilal.

Although Son Heung Min and Messi chose to ignore Al-Bulayhi’s provocation, C. Ronaldo reacted strongly, elbowing his opponent in the chest and then swinging his arm again, causing Al-Bulayhi to fall down.

Ronaldo got a red card, but it didn’t stop there. He raised his fist as if he was about to punch the referee in the back of the head (although it may have been just a feint, it startled his teammates).

Then, amid chants of “Messi, Messi” from the stands, Ronaldo sarcastically clapped his hands and gave a thumbs up.

This is not the first time Ronaldo has behaved strangely in Saudi Arabia. In February, also during the match against Al-Hilal, when CR7 entered the tunnel, an opposing fan threw an Al-Hilal shirt at the Portuguese superstar. Ronaldo picked it up, rubbed it against his private parts, and then threw it back into the stands.

Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer an 18-year-old boy. He is a 39-year-old man, a father of five, and one of the greatest players in the history of football. His temper, his frustration, his arrogance have been part of his personality throughout his career.

This has ranged from refusing to come on as a substitute at Man Utd, leaving the pitch when substituted, knocking a phone out of a child’s hand, not celebrating a goal scored by a teammate who didn’t pass the ball to him, throwing water at reporters, yelling at the referee, to pushing a fan trying to take a selfie.

In fact, when you think back, all of these actions happened within the last 3 or 4 years. Instead of maintaining a calm attitude as he entered his 40s, Ronaldo showed a childish anger and lack of restraint.

When the team loses, the referee sends him off, his teammates don’t pass the ball to him, the coach substitutes him, or when the crowd calls Messi’s name, he gets angry.

Perhaps it is time for a great player like Ronaldo to put aside these negative behaviors, become a better role model for millions, if not billions of fans around the world, and behave appropriately for his age and position.