Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s potential Club World Cup group stage opponents come to light after they land in Pot 4 of draw

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, who are 'invitees' in the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, could face teams such as Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the tournament. Inter Miami are placed in Pot 4 of the draw and are expected to face a team each from Pot 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Real Madrid are in Pot 1, whom Messi has played against on numerous occasions in Spain during La Liga's El Clasico and has a history of tormenting them. PSG too find themselves in the same pot as Madrid. Messi can also be drawn against his native Argentine club River Plate, who too are in Pot 1.

Fellow Argentine club Boca Juniors, renowned for having given the world some exciting footballers, are in Pot 3, and they too could come into Inter Miami's group. The latter's manager Javier Mascherano, who played for River Plate early on in his career, will find it interesting if his former club make it in the same group.

The only other MLS club, Seattle Sounders, are in the same pot as Inter Miami, which means that the two teams will not clash against each other. Other clubs such as Auckland City, Urawa Red Diamonds, and Mamelodi Sundowns, among others, make up Pot 4 of the Club World Cup draw.

Here are the Club World Cup pots in full:

Pot 1: Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, Flamengo, Palmeiras, River Plate, Fluminense
Pot 2: Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, FC Porto, Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Juventus, Salzburg
Pot 3: Al Hilal, Ulsan HD, Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Monterrey, Leon, Boca Juniors, Botafogo
Pot 4: Urawa Red Diamonds, Al Ain, Hope of Tunis, Mamelodi Sundowns, Pachuca, Seattle Sounders, Auckland City, Inter Miami

Lionel Messi was among the leading goalscorers of the MLS this season

Messi, who moved to Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in the 2022 summer transfer window, was the third-highest goalscorer in the competition this season (21) behind teammate Luis Suarez and former Crystal Palace striker Christian Benteke, who won the accolade with 23 strikes.

Messi's Inter Miami could not make it to the final of the ongoing MLS playoffs and were knocked out by Atalanta United at an earlier stage. The final of the competition will now be played between Los Angeles Galaxy and New York Red Bulls at the Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, December 7.