Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have reportedly stopped one other MLS club from participating in the upcoming Club World Cup.
Following the end of the season, 32 of the biggest football teams in the world will face off in the Club World Cup, taking place in the USA in June and July.
The Premier League will be represented by Manchester City and Chelsea, with the likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich also set to play in the elite competition.
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However, there is one club that were blocked from participating in this year's competition, and it's all because of Messi and his current club Inter Miami.
Alongside Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders FC are the only Major League Soccer club that will play in the Club World Cup this summer having won the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup, while Messi's side were given a sport awarded to the host country.
However, Los Angeles FC could become a late addition after Mexican side Club Leon were removed from the tournament after failing to meet tournament regulations on multi-club ownership.
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Several clubs could have joined the competition, but a report from GiveMeSport claims that LA Galaxy were not one of the sides considered, despite the fact that they won the 2024 MLS Cup.
Competition rules meant that the only way that LA-based team could have qualified for the competition is if they were handed the host slot which was instead given to Inter Miami.
This is because Seattle Sounders FC took one of the slots given to Concacaf, while LAFC may have a chance to earn it through a play-off match after finishing runner-up to Leon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League.
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LAFC would need to beat Club America, the side currently on top of the Concacaf rankings, in the match if they want to book their place in the Club World Cup this summer.
"Fifa can confirm it is considering one play-off match between LAFC and Club America for the right to participate in the Fifa Club World Cup 2025," the official Fifa statement announcing the potential match read.
Topics: Lionel Messi, Inter Miami, MLS, Football, LA Galaxy
Ben McCrum