泰晤士報提出質疑：邁阿密國際尚未奪冠卻獲世俱杯資格，是否有違公平原則
來源：泰晤士報2024-11-10 20:12
MLS playoffs began on November 10th, and in a major upset, Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, were knocked out by Atlanta United with a score of 1-2.
On October 20th, Inter Miami won the regular season championship in Major League Soccer (MLS), and FIFA immediately announced that Inter Miami would be granted a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup as the host team.
Martyn Ziegler, a journalist from The Times, believes that FIFA's process for determining the Club World Cup spots in MLS is not transparent. He points out that Inter Miami won the "Supporters' Shield," which goes to the team with the best regular season record, but the ultimate MLS champion will only be decided after the playoffs in December.
Ziegler suggests that FIFA wanted to ensure Lionel Messi's participation in the Club World Cup in order to attract sponsors and TV broadcasters. They were not willing to take the risk of Inter Miami not winning the MLS championship, so they "reserved" the spot for them.
Ziegler expressed his dissatisfaction on social media by sharing a video of Atlanta United goalkeeper celebrating their victory and stating that the Club World Cup spot was given to Inter Miami instead of the MLS champions, which now appears to be predetermined and even more shameful.