The Italian giants will be among the top contenders to take the trophy as they look to build on recent success
After a decade of Juventus dominance at the very top of Italian soccer, Serie A has become as entertaining as any league in the world. With a number of strong teams, the country's top flight has gone from Europe's most predictable league to one of its most unpredictable.
Of those top sides, Inter Milan have come closest to shedding the "very good" label in favor of a "great." They've won the league twice in the last four years and, if results hold, they'll win it again this year.
On the continent, they have a Champions League final run on their resume, too, proving that they can win at every level. They're Italy's model club. No team in the world wants to face Inter.
They'll get another chance to showcase that in the Club World Cup. Their Champions League successes put them in a position to go toe-to-toe with the game's elite. Led by stars all over the field, Inter will head to the United States this summer with both belief and expectations. This is a team that can win, one that has the talent, experience and mentality to go out and beat anyone in their path.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
Next up is Inter Milan with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Italian side at the tournament.
Getty ImagesThe Basics
DOMESTIC LEAGUE: Italian Serie A
CLUB WORLD CUP HISTORY: One Club World Cup win (2010)
GROUP: E (Inter Milan, Monterrey, River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds)
OPENING MATCH: Monterrey – June 17, 9 p.m. ET, Pasadena
AdvertisementGetty ImagesHow they got here
Inter were agonizingly close to lifting the Champions League trophy, and qualifying for this tournament directly, in 2022-23, having previously won a domestic cup double in Italy. Their dreams of a treble, though, were dashed by Manchester City in Istanbul, as a Rodri goal ensured the Premier League side would claim the trophy in a narrow 1-0 win.
Even without that win, Inter did enough to qualify for the Club World Cup based on their Champions League successes. They were the fourth-best ranked eligible team in UEFA's four-year ranking, giving them one of the nine bids reserved for Europe's non-Champion League winners.
Getty ImagesThe player to watch
Inter has no shortage of starpower, but Lautaro Martinez is the player in the team bordering on superstar status. He's often been a subject of criticism despite his seemingly endless flurries of Serie A goals, but it seems that much of that is behind him.
He was the catalyst behind Argentina's Copa America win last summer and, now back with Inter, he's only built on that with yet another 20-goal season in Italy.
The 27-year-old striker is right up there among the best in the world and, when you have a forward of that quality, you'll have a chance in every game. Lautaro doesn't have to carry Inter, but he can be the difference – as he has been for both club and country over the last 12 months.
Getty ImagesRealistic expectations
The first hurdle should be relatively easy as Inter are massive favorites in Group E. Playing Monterrey in California will feel like something of an away game, and River Plate should certainly give Inter a test. But realistically, it would be shocking if the Serie A contenders didn't come out on top of Group E.
After the group stage, they'll match up with a team from Group F, arguably the tournament's weakest, which really opens up the door to a quarterfinal run. At that point, only heavyweights will remain, but reaching the quarters seems very manageable for this Inter team.
From there, who knows? This is a team that has proven it can win big games and could very well contend for the trophy.