MIAMI — The casual sports fan may assume that Lionel Messi and his high-profile Inter Miami teammates are locks to advance from a Club World Cup group that includes Al Ahly of Egypt, Porto of Portugal and Palmeiras of Brazil.

But soccer fans who follow the international game are fully aware that although Messi’s No. 10 pink shirt is the best selling in the world, his team is the underdog against three Group A opponents that have far more history and trophies than a 6-year-old MLS club.

Inter Miami kicks off the $1 billion tournament on Saturday at Hard Rock Stadium against Al Ahly, the highest-ranked African team in the world, a team that won that region’s Champions League three of the past four years and has racked up 155 trophies over its 118-year history.

Next up for the Miami is 30-time Portuguese champion Porto in Atlanta on June 19 and the final group game is June 23 back at Hard Rock Stadium against Brazilian power Palmeiras, the Sao Paulo side that won Brazil’s Serie A in 2022 and 2023, the Copa do Brasil in 2020 and two successive Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021.

Among the top players on Palmeiras’ roster is 18-year-old phenom Estavao, who is headed to Chelsea for a $68 million transfer fee.

According to the Opta Power Rankings, Porto is No. 56 in the world, Palmeiras No. 76, Al Ahly No. 98 and Inter Miami No. 146.

Let’s take a closer look at who Messi and his Inter Miami teammates will be facing over the next few weeks ...

Al Ahly steeped in history

Spanish coach Jose Riveiro makes his Al Ahly debut in the Club World Cup opener, and he will be under pressure from the passionate and demanding Red Devils fans, who are used to winning and pack 75,000-seat Cairo International Stadium for home matches.

Al Ahly has won 45 Egyptian Premier League titles, 39 Egypt Cup titles and 15 Egyptian Super Cups, making it the most successful club in Africa. The club’s Instagram account has 12 million followers, and most of its players have more than a million followers, led by Mahmoud Trézéguet with 9.7 million.

“When you are in a Club World Cup, you are going to see the best teams in the world, and we landed a group that maybe in the names of the clubs is not as intimidating as others, but I can tell you that based on performance, it is a difficult group,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano.

“I have seen Al Ahly in the Intercontinental Cup, Porto and Palmeiras we know much better because we have seen them often. Our goal is to arrive at the tournament in the best form possible and try to win the first game.”

Inter Miami features former Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba, who is injured and questionable for Saturday’s game.

Al Ahly also boasts elite players such as ex-Aston Villa forward Trézéguet, Emam Ashour, Wessam Abou Ali and Momamad Hanu.

The Egyptian team has been in South Florida for more than a week, training at Nova Southeastern University and tuned up for the Club World Cup with a friendly against Mexican team Pachuca on Sunday, losing 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 tie.

Porto seeks redemption

The Club World Cup is redemption time for Porto, an opportunity to save face after finishing the Primeira Liga in third place for the second year in a row. The Dragons finished nine points behind second-place Benfica and 11 points behind winner Sporting.

The last time they finished below top two in successive seasons was in 1976 and 1977.

Porto, a historic club that was founded in 1893 and has never been relegated, was eliminated by Roma in the first knockout round of the Europa League this year, and lost in the Round of 32 of the Taca de Portugal (Portugal’s FA Cup) against Moreirense and the semi-finals of the Taca da Liga (League Cup).

Coach Martin Anselmi, who was previously at Mexican club Cruz Azul, leads a team that features talented goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Spanish striker in Samu Aghehowa, who scored 25 goals this season. Other players to watch include forward Pepe and midfielder Stephen Eustaquio.

Porto is the most decorated Portuguese team in international competitions, with seven trophies. They won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in 1987 and 2004, the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011, the UEFA Super Cup in 1987, and the Intercontinental Cup in 1987 and 2004.

Palmeiras teen Estavao takes center stage

One of the most exciting young players in the world is 18-year-old Brazilian winger Estevao, so it is no surprise that Inter Miami’s game against Palmeiras was drawing higher ticket prices than the opener against Al Ahly.

South Florida’s large Brazilian community will get a chance to see the teen phenom in person before he heads to England to play for Chelsea, which reportedly paid a $39.3 million transfer fee with another $26.6 million in performance-based incentives.

He made his club debut at age 16 and last season scored 13 goals with nine assists.

Asked about the opportunity to face Messi, Estevao said in a FIFA.com interview: “I am very excited. I’ll be playing against one of the greatest football players in history, so being on the pitch with him will be an incredible and unforgettable experience for me.

“It’s a great feeling to be playing in a tournament like this and to know that Palmeiras is among the best clubs in the world. It’s great not only for me, but for everyone playing. Expectations are high, and the tournament will also be a great learning experience since we’ll be facing not just South American clubs, but also European ones.”

Other Palmeiras players to watch include forward Vitor Roque, midfielder Raphael Veiga, midfielder Richard Ríos and forward Facundo Torres.

Palmeiras is Brazil’s most successful domestic club with a record 12 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, four Copas do Brasil, one Copa dos Campeões, and one Supercopa do Brasil.

The Brazilian Serie A season kicked off in March and ends in December. Palmeiras is currently in fourth place and advanced to the Copa Libertadores Round of 16, where it will play Unversitario of Peru in August.

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