How Far is MLS From The World's Best? Breaking Down MLS Performances at The Club World Cup

By: Rylee McKinney

Lionel Messi during Inter Miami CF's Round of 16 match against PSG (Photo courtesy of Francisco Diaz/Topbin90)

The FIFA Club World Cup barrels into July, but all three MLS teams have been eliminated from the tournament. Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders, and LAFC made history for MLS and faced off against some of the most legendary clubs in world soccer.

Despite all three MLS teams failing to reach the final rounds, their performances raise an important question: Can MLS be considered on the same level as the world’s elite leagues?

We decided to statistically break down each club’s performance in search of that answer.

Seattle Sounders FC

Seattle Sounders FC first qualified for the Club World Cup with their 2022 CONCACAF Champions League win, making an MLS milestone.

Seattle sat in Group B alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético de Madrid, and Botafogo. Their first group stage match was held on June 15th in Seattle against Botafogo. Seattle surprisingly dominated with 59.8% of possession and 23 shot attempts, earning an xG of 2.15 compared to Botafogo’s xG of 1.12. After 90+ minutes of play, Seattle unfortunately lost 2-1 in their first group stage match. 

Yet, Seattle had to push forward, looking to their June 19th matchup against Atlético Madrid. On matchday, Atlético Madrid held 56.9% of the possession and had seven shots on goal. Seattle’s Alberk Rusnák scored their only goal, and the squad fell to Atletico Madrid 3-1. 

With two losses in their group stage matches, Seattle desperately needed a win. Their last group stage match was set against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) on June 23rd, which ultimately tested Seattle’s skill. Right off the bat, PSG brought on the world-class intensity they are known for. In the end, Seattle did not have a single shot on goal and only held 27.7% possession.

PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in the 35th minute, and Achraf Hakimi finished their second opportunity in the 66th minute. With three losses total in the group stage, Seattle kissed their Club World Cup potential goodbye. 

Group B Results

Team	W-D-L	GD	Pts
Paris Saint-Germain	2-0-1	+5	6
Botafogo	2-0-1	+1	6
Atlético Madrid	2-0-1	-1	6
Seattle Sounders	0-0-3	-5	0

Inter Miami CF

Inter Miami’s 2024 Supporters’ Shield win, 74 points in the 2024 regular season, also secured them a spot in the Club World Cup. With Lionel Messi and Sergio Busquets on the roster, Miami appeared to have the best chance out of all the MLS teams of making it far in the tournament.

Miami kicked off the Club World Cup in a Group A match against Egypt’s Al Ahly on June 14th in Miami. Hard Rock Stadium filled 60,927 out of 65,000 seats, demonstrating the overwhelming support for Miami in the tournament. 

Miami’s goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari, held down the net, saving a penalty from Trézéguet just before half. Messi only had one chance, but it deflected off the crossbar. Al Ahly fell slightly short on possession, with Miami holding 55.3%. However, Al Ahly had eight shots on goal compared to Miami’s six, with an xG of 1.99 to Miami’s 1.06. Miami even had 42 dangerous attacks, whereas Al Ahly played more defensively with 34 dangerous attacks. The first Club World Cup group stage match ended in a tense 0-0 draw. 

Miami then traveled to Atlanta on June 19th to play FC Porto in their second group stage match. Both teams split possession quite evenly, with FC Porto having a slight advantage (50.1%). Miami took five shots on goal to Porto’s three, but both teams committed a high number of fouls, exhibiting the intensity of play. FC Porto’s xGOT (on target) was only .7 compared to Miami’s 1.85, leading to Miami’s 2-1 win. 

With momentum from their win against FC Porto, Miami headed back home to play Palmerias on June 23rd. In their 3rd and final group stage match, Miami held Palmeiras to a 2-2 draw. Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suárez gave Miami the early lead. However, the second half saw a late response from Palmeiras with goals from Paulinho and Mauricio in the 80th and 87th minutes. 

Statistically, Miami dominated possession similar to their match against Al Ahly with 53.8%. Palmeiras had seven shots on goal and 22 shot attempts total compared to Miami’s three shots on goal and eight attempts total. Miami walked away with an xG of 1.22, lower than Palmeiras’ 1.80 xG. 

Miami left the group stage with a 1W-0L-2D record, pushing them ahead into the Round of 16. Being the only MLS team to qualify for the knockout rounds, all eyes turned to Miami.

On Sunday, June 29th, Miami traveled back to Atlanta to face off against PSG. PSG exited the group stages on top with six goals scored in just the group stages. PSG simply meant business for Miami. 

PSG ultimately dominated the match with 66.6% possession and nine shots on goal, earning a xG of 2.24. Miami’s defensive line struggled to mark up off a free kick in the 5th minute, conceding a goal that opened the floodgates. Miami’s conservative tendencies proved no match for PSG, and Miami lost 4-0, kicking them out of the Club World Cup.

Group A Results

Team	W-D-L	GD	Pts
Palmeiras	1-2-0	+2	5
Inter Miami	1-2-0	+1	5
Porto	0-2-1	-1	2
Al Ahly	0-2-1	-2	2

LAFC

Then, LAFC faced off against Club América in a sudden-death playoff match due to team ownership rules. Back in May, LAFC defeated Club América 2-1 in extra time to secure the final tournament spot. 

LAFC began their Club World Cup journey in Group D against Chelsea on June 16th in Atlanta. Chelsea, to no surprise, outperformed LAFC with 66% possession and six shots on target. LAFC only had four shots on target as well as four offside attempts. Unfortunately, LAFC could not stop goals from Chelsea’s Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernández, losing their first group stage match.

On Matchday Two, LAFC headed to Nashville for their match against Espérance de Tunis on June 20th. Although LAFC lost 1-0 to ES Tunis, the outcome did not reflect their performance. LAFC held the majority of possession (61%) and were granted several free kick opportunities. However, LAFC cashed in four offside attempts once more and were simply overwhelmed by ES Tunis’ five shots on target to their two. 

With two disappointing upsets in the group stage matches, LAFC desperately needed to secure a win in Matchday Three. In Orlando on June 24th, LAFC played Serie A’s Flamengo. The match played out in a back-and-forth manner and remained scoreless until the last 20 minutes of play. 

Statistically, Flamengo appeared to be the better team with 19 shots total and 66% possession. Also, LAFC committed seven fouls and two yellow cards, with only five shot attempts created. But, LAFC held Flamengo to a 1-1 draw at the end of the 90 minutes. 

With a group stage record of 0W-2L-1D, LAFC did not qualify for the knockout stages and finished 4th in Group D.

Group D Results

Team	W-D-L	GD	Pts
Flamengo	2-1-0	+4	7
Chelsea	2-0-1	+3	6
ES Tunis	1-0-2	-4	3
LAFC	0-1-2	-3	1

Summary

The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup marked a historic moment for MLS, with Inter Miami, Seattle Sounders, and LAFC putting the league on the global stage. 

While only Miami advanced past the group stage, all three clubs showed flashes of promise. Seattle and LAFC did struggle to convert possession and chances into results, ultimately finishing at the bottom of their groups. But Inter Miami’s ability to qualify for the knockout rounds showcased MLS’s potential. 

What we can take away from this tournament is that a gap remains between the MLS and the world’s top clubs.  MLS salary restrictions and the misalignment with season schedules might be impacting MLS’s success in the tournament. Nonetheless, this tournament proved that the MLS has immense potential in the years ahead. 

*All stats pulled from xGscore and ESPN