Messi officially contacts the club that 'Barcelona hates the most'

15/10/2025 22:25:00 VictoryVox

Lionel Messi has invited a club that Barcelona players once “hated” even more than Real Madrid to participate in the inaugural tournament named the Messi Cup.

The new tournament called the Messi Cup will take place this December at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium, featuring eight youth teams from some of the world’s top clubs.

Representing England are Chelsea and Manchester City, while three clubs Messi has played for — Inter Miami, Barcelona, and Newell’s Old Boys — will also participate. Additionally, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, and River Plate are involved, but notably PSG (Messi’s former club) was not invited.

Messi chính thức liên hệ với đội bóng mà 'Barcelona ghét nhất' 722867 — Messi officially establishes an unprecedented tournament (Photo: Sudanalytics).

All teams will send their U16 squads, giving fans a chance to see the future stars of world football. On his personal Instagram, Messi shared:

“I’m very happy to finally announce this. Next December, Miami will host a special youth football tournament featuring many of the world’s top clubs. The future of football will be fully showcased, and it’s not just about the matches but also a series of exciting activities. All dedicated to the next generation. I hope everyone will enjoy it!”

The biggest surprise in the Messi Cup invite list is Chelsea — a club with which Messi has had some difficult memories. Barcelona and Chelsea have faced each other in tense matches many times in the Champions League.

In 2005, Chelsea defeated Barcelona 4-2 to advance to the quarterfinals, when Messi was only 17 and not yet registered to play. A year later, the two teams met again, and Messi openly spoke about the team’s feelings towards this opponent:

“I used to think nothing was more intense than Boca Juniors vs River Plate or Brazil vs Argentina, but it turns out there is. We would rather face Arsenal, Manchester United, or any other team than have to play Chelsea.”

Messi chính thức liên hệ với đội bóng mà 'Barcelona ghét nhất' 722868 — Chelsea will be one of the 8 teams participating in the Messi Cup (Photo: Instagram).

However, Messi later “avenged” by helping Barcelona win 2-1 at Stamford Bridge and then draw 1-1 at Camp Nou, securing progression.

The tournament will be divided into two groups, each with four teams, playing a single round-robin over the first three days. The top two teams from each group will advance to the playoffs to determine final rankings.

On the final day, the third-place match and the final will take place at Inter Miami’s Chase Stadium.

In total, there will be 18 matches from December 9 to 14, promising valuable experience for young football talents worldwide.

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