Lionel Messi will make shock tournament return for first time in over a decade with Cristiano Ronaldo not invited

Lionel Messi will get a great opportunity to prove he is still the best in the game next summer by taking part in a tournament featuring top talent from around the world. But Cristiano Ronaldo will not be there.

Since moving to the MLS to enter the twilight years of his career, it's hard to deny that Messi has fallen down the pecking order when determining the best footballer in the world.

He may be the GOAT, but the standard of football in the USA simply isn't competitive enough to give credence to the argument that Messi is top of the pile anymore when it comes to current form.

However, if Messi ever wanted a chance to prove he can still cut it against the best teams, he will be given the perfect opportunity thanks to Inter Miami earning an invitation to the FIFA Club World Cup next summer.

The tournament takes on a new format next year, with 32 teams competing rather than the more traditional six or seven. And, with the US hosting the event, a place has opened up for one MLS team to take part.

According to Kaveh Solhekol, that spot will be given to Inter Miami, who qualify thanks to the fact they won the Supporters’ Shield for the MLS team with the best record in the regular season.

Erling Haaland chose his 5-a-side team (Credit:Getty)

30 places have already been secured across the world for various teams from the different organisations within the sport. UEFA has 12 places, which have been awarded to Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, PSG, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madid, and RB Salzburg.

South American sides like Boca Juniors, River Plate, Fluminese, Flamengo, and Palmeiras also made the cut. Meanwhile, Al-Hilal are the only Saudi club to qualify, which is bad news for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the best of all time (Credit:Getty)

This may not be enough to settle the Messi vs Ronaldo debate, but it will be a blow to the Portuguese star, who would no doubt have loved to be mixing it up with the best of the best.

Messi was last part of the Club World Cup in 2015, scoring in the final as Barcelona triumphed over River Plate to lift the trophy.

The draw for the competition will take place in December. There is just one space left to offer out, with the winner of South America’s 2024 Copa Libertadores final set to be the final team invited.