Football and Messi and Inter Miami's ratings support Infantino's World Cup plan: "We didn't come here to retreat."

"Buy your tickets here to see Lionel Messi at the Club World Cup ." Even the FIFA website acknowledges this reality. "Only Real Madrid 's demand exceeds that for the Argentine footballer," explains the organization chaired by Gianni Infantino . Messi is everywhere: on television, with the Michelob Ultra beer advertisement that airs before, during, and after each Club World Cup match; on billboards for Adidas, Apple TV, Pepsi, and Gatorade that can be seen in several cities across the United States ; in the tournament's social media account posts, where the Argentine and Real Madrid have the most likes and views; and he's also in the round of 16 of this edition, to the glory of Inter Miami and Infantino himself, after the draw against Palmeiras . There he will face PSG in a summit event on both the sporting and media levels. The " Infantino Plan " is being fulfilled.

The FIFA president's idea has worked out perfectly, both financially and from a footballing perspective. Inter Miami hadn't won the CONCACAF Champions League, nor did its ranking in the confederation give it enough points to qualify for the tournament, a requirement that has been applied to other continents. However, the Swiss official invited David Beckham 's team to the World Cup after winning the Major League Soccer Supporters Shield .

Infantino applied for an invitation to the host country , the United States, and ignored the reigning U.S. league champion, the Los Angeles Galaxy . He decided that the guest team would be the winner of the regular season, not the playoffs. He received much criticism , but several weeks after the World Cup, the tournament's impact is proving him right in his decision, even though it was a difficult one at the time.

A city turned upside down

In Spain, tournament viewers almost daily surpass prime-time programs, whether it's a Spanish team or Messi, whose match between Inter Miami and Porto broadcast last Thursday on Telecinco reached a 12.9% audience share and surpassed one million viewers . And on the pitch, only PSG vs. Atlético Madrid at the giant Rose Bowl and Real Madrid vs. Pachuca de Charlotte had more fans than Inter Miami's matches at the Hard Rock Stadium. The Florida city, which also filled its stadium for Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal and Bayern vs. Boca Juniors, has turned out in force for its new idol.

And the results speak for themselves. Inter Miami's draw with Palmeiras put them in the round of 16 , where they'll face PSG . Messi against the European champion. Infantino's dream. The match comes, perhaps, too early for the competition, but it provides a further boost for the tournament. It will be played in Atlanta, at the imposing Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with a capacity for 71,000 spectators, and with plenty of stories in the locker room.

"He can play as long as he wants."

Messi, who turned 38 yesterday, arrives at the round of 16 as the second player in the tournament with the most dribbles, surpassed only by PSG's young hopeful, Desiré Doue, 20. He faces the team with which he failed alongside Neymar and Mbappé in the galactic era at the Parc des Princes. He won two league titles, but lost in the Champions League to Madrid and Bayern, frustrating Al Khelaifi , who eventually handed the team over to Luis Enrique . The Asturian now reunites with Mascherano, the coach, Alba, Busquets, Suárez and Messi , whom he led to the historic treble in 2015.

"Leo can play for many more years, until his body or he wants it. He's a grown-up kid and continues to make a difference," Jordi Alba explained on Monday in the corridors of Hard Rock Stadium , where he made it clear that Luis Enrique is "the best coach in the world." "It's incredible to see how he works." The full-back also made it clear that the four former Barça players at Inter " didn't come to retire in Miami ." "It's not at the European level, but we're competing," he concluded.