Quick Answer
There are a few requirements that Inter Miami would need to meet in order to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup:
– Win the CONCACAF Champions League
– Receive an invitation as the host nation representative if the tournament is held in the United States
– potentially qualify as the North American representative if CONCACAF declines to send their Champions League winner.
As Inter Miami has not yet qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, they do not currently have a path to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup. Their earliest chance would be to win the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League and play in the 2024 Club World Cup as the CONCACAF representative.
What is the FIFA Club World Cup?
The FIFA Club World Cup is an international club football competition organized by FIFA. It is contested by the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations, along with the national league champion from the host country.
The Club World Cup debuted in 2000, replacing the Intercontinental Cup which had been contested by the champions of Europe and South America. The current format involves seven teams competing in a knockout tournament held annually in December.
Real Madrid holds the record with four Club World Cup titles wins. Spanish clubs have dominated, winning 7 of the last 10 editions.
Club World Cup Participants
The participants in the Club World Cup include:
– UEFA Champions League winners (Europe)
– Copa Libertadores winners (South America)
– AFC Champions League winners (Asia)
– CAF Champions League winners (Africa)
– CONCACAF Champions League winners (North America)
– OFC Champions League winners (Oceania)
– Host nation’s league champions
Club World Cup Format
The seven teams are separated into two rounds:
First Round: The OFC champions plays in a playoff against the host nation’s league champions. The winner advances to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinals: The CAF champions plays the winner of the first round. The CONCACAF, AFC, and Copa Libertadores champions receive byes to the quarterfinals.
Semifinals: The UEFA champions plays the quarterfinal winner from the CAF/First Round matchup. The Copa Libertadores champions plays the quarterfinal winner from the AFC/CONCACAF matchup.
Final: The semifinal winners contest the Club World Cup Final. The semifinal losers play in a third-place match.
How Inter Miami could qualify for Club World Cup
There are theoretically three ways Inter Miami could qualify to play in the FIFA Club World Cup:
Win the CONCACAF Champions League
Winning the CONCACAF Champions League would offer Inter Miami a direct path to the Club World Cup as the CONCACAF representatives. However, Inter Miami has yet to ever qualify for the Champions League, which is contested between the top clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
The CONCACAF Champions League winners earn the region’s spot in the Club World Cup. Previous CONCACAF representatives include Monterrey, Pachuca, and Tigres UANL from Mexico. If Inter Miami won the 2024 Champions League, they could play in the 2024 Club World Cup.
Earn a bid as host nation representative
If FIFA awarded the Club World Cup tournament to the United States, the host nation’s domestic league champions would qualify. In 2023, the Seattle Sounders will play as hosts.
Inter Miami as MLS Cup champions could earn the host bid if the Club World Cup came to the United States, but only if they won MLS Cup in the same calendar year.
Potentially qualify as North American representatives
In years when the CONCACAF Champions League winners qualify via another method, CONCACAF has the option to nominate another North American club to replace them.
For example, Monterrey qualified via two paths in 2019 as both CONCACAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores winners. In that case, CF Pachuca was nominated by CONCACAF to replace them as the North American entrant.
However, CONCACAF would have to actively select Inter Miami for this spot. Winning MLS Cup does not guarantee this place.
Requirements to qualify for CONCACAF Champions League
For Inter Miami to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League and contend for a spot in the Club World Cup, they would need to:
Finish top 4 in MLS regular season
The top 4 teams in the MLS regular season standings earn a place in the following year’s Champions League. In 2023, LAFC, Austin FC, Philadelphia Union, and NYCFC qualified via their 2022 MLS season finish.
Win MLS Cup
The MLS Cup champion also earns a Champions League bid. LAFC qualfied through both their Supporters Shield finish and their MLS Cup title.
Win the U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup winner gets a spot, so long as they do not qualify already through MLS. Orlando City qualified off their Open Cup win.
Earn best MLS record not already qualified
The remaining Champions League spots go to the highest finishing MLS clubs by points who have not yet qualified through the above methods. In 2023, the New York Red Bulls and FC Dallas took these spots.
Inter Miami’s chances of qualifying analysis
Based on Inter Miami’s current trajectory in MLS, their chances of qualifying for the CONCACAF Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in the near future appear slim:
Recent MLS Season Finishes
Year | Record | Conference | Overall | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | 7-13-3 | 10th East | 19th | No |
2021 | 11-17-5 | 12th East | 22nd | No |
2022 | 14-14-6 | 6th East | 13th | Yes |
In their first three MLS seasons, Inter Miami has finished 19th, 22nd, and 13th overall while making the playoffs once. This is well short of the top 4 finishes required for Champions League.
Odds to win 2023 MLS Cup
According to betting odds at the start of the 2023 season, Inter Miami has +10000 odds to win MLS Cup, tied for 11th best in the league. This implies they are considered a major longshot to win MLS Cup this season. Their chances of qualifying for the 2024 CONCACAF Champions League via MLS Cup are very low.
U.S. Open Cup potential
Inter Miami would have better odds of qualifying through the U.S. Open Cup compared to their MLS performance. But that would require going on a deep Open Cup run and winning the knockout tournament against MLS clubs and lower division teams.
Conclusion
Based on Inter Miami’s current trajectory, it appears unlikely they will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup in the next few years. They would need a dramatic turnaround to finish top 4 in MLS and win MLS Cup or the U.S. Open Cup. While not impossible, them qualifying for and competing in the near future Club World Cup seems improbable unless they can level up their on-field MLS performance significantly.