David Beckham made an unannounced appearance at Inter Miami‘s training session this week, surprising Lionel Messi and staff as the club finalizes preparations for its FIFA Club World Cup debut against Al Ahly.
The visit from the club’s co-owner and former England international came just hours before the Major League Soccer side opens their campaign in the unique competition.
Beckham, dressed casually in a grey shirt, white cap, and brown trousers, was seen observing training under the Florida sun. He even briefly stepped onto the pitch, interacting warmly with the players through handshakes and smiles.
At one point, the ex-Real Madrid star gently knocked the ball around, drawing laughter from the squad. He was also seen engaged in conversation with Inter Miami‘s head coach, Javier Mascherano.
The timing of 50-year-old’s surprise attendance underscores the magnitude of the occasion for the Florida-based club, which is participating in the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup for the first time.
Inter Miami, who secured their first trophy in 2023 with a Leagues Cup victory, now step into a global spotlight in a competition that includes reigning European champions and several continental powerhouses.
And Mascherano has emphasized what this opportunity represents not only for the club, but for Miami and U.S. soccer more broadly, especially ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – featuring international teams.
“Obviously it means a lot for the club, for the city, for the country because it’s a competition with teams that have a lot of history,” Mascherano said. “To be able to dream of competing and maybe, who knows, facing one of these great teams is truly a huge privilege.”
Inter Miami enters the competition alongside MLS counterparts Seattle Sounders and LAFC and they will Portugal’s Porto and Brazil’s Palmeiras, before the prospect of Real Madrid, Manchester City, or Paris Saint-Germain await in the latter stages.
Mascherano will lead a team headlined by former Barcelona greats Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba and with such figures on the pitch and Beckham‘s involvement off it, Inter Miami continues to position itself as a central figure in the growing international stature of MLS.
How does the Club World Cup work?
The Club World Cup follows a simple format consisting of eight groups of four teams. The top two in each group advance to the knockout rounds, beginning with a round of 16 and progressing to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
Inter Miami will now look to translate the momentum of Beckham‘s symbolic visit into competitive success, as they prepare to face Al Ahly on June 14 in what will be a defining match for the club and its ambitions on the world stage.
Read the full article here
