Club World Cup: Kick-off between Inter Miami and Al-Ahly

Inter Miami vs. Al-Ahly: The revamped Club World Cup kicks off in the United States on Saturday, with all eyes on Argentine world champion Lionel Messi, but Hard Rock Stadium could be a bit empty.

For FIFA President Gianni Infantino, the initiator of this project, which has been widely criticized, particularly due to the congested match schedule, it will be a "historic" moment, he said in an interview with Agence France-Presse on Thursday.

He emphasized that this tournament will usher in a "new era in football": "It's almost like 1930, with the start of the first World Cup (for national teams). Today, the whole world is talking about the new Club World Cup, and that's why it's historic."

But the situation is not easy in the host country, with growing protests against the Trump administration's strict immigration policies, which have ordered the deployment of military forces to Los Angeles, where European champions Paris Saint-Germain will play their first match on Sunday against Atlético Madrid.

Border guards will be present at Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday, as will possibly the Federal Immigration Service.

Infantino stated that "security is a top priority... We are in constant contact with the authorities and want fans to be able to attend matches in complete safety."

It remains to be seen whether football fans, particularly those from the Latin American community, will be willing to watch a match featuring Messi and a group of Barcelona veterans, such as Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, midfielder Sergio Busquets, and full-back Jordi Alba.

The outlook is not promising a day before the start of the first-ever 32-team tournament, which Infantino hopes will be a resounding success.

President Trump will not be present for the opening match between Inter Miami and the Egyptian champions. Trump is a golf enthusiast and has appeared at sporting events such as the recent Super Bowl. The president will also be attending a military parade in Washington, D.C., organized by him on his 79th birthday.

All eyes will be on the stands at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium to see if the seats will finally fill up. Thousands of tickets were available 48 hours before kickoff, as were the other 47 matches in the group stage.

To address this problem, a significant reduction in ticket prices was implemented in the final hours, sometimes by 80%.

FIFA hopes to increase attendance, especially since the sight of empty stands will give the impression that the tournament has failed to get off the ground.

The technical level on the field remains high. Will it be up to scratch?

Inter Miami, co-owned by former England star David Beckham, is third in the Eastern Conference of the weak Major League Soccer.

Meanwhile, Al Ahly, the African football giants with a record 12 Champions League titles, hopes to reach the second round from a group that also includes Brazilian side Palmeiras and Portuguese side Porto.

Al Ahly signed Tunisian Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and brought back Mahmoud Hassan (Trezeguet) after a long career in Europe.

Their new coach, Spaniard José Ribeiro, promised, "We have accepted the challenge. Everyone is waiting for us to win and put in a good performance against Inter Miami. We will try to give our best."

Alba, on the other hand, said that Al Ahly is "a strong and experienced opponent. We hope our fans will support us, because this will be crucial."