Monterrey vs Inter Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup | Group Stage

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It was a disappointing end to the season for Inter but new manager Cristian Chivu can make a positive start as Nerazzurri boss against Mexican side Monterrey.

Kick-off date/time:

How to watch on TV & online: UK – DAZN & Channel 5 / US – DAZN

Monterrey team news: Ramos available after injury

Defender Carlos Salcedo is the only injury absentee that Monterrey boss Domenec Torrent has to contend with.

Veteran centre-back Sergio Ramos – a four-time winner of the FIFA Club World Cup while at Real Madrid – will marshal the rearguard in what could be a busy evening for the Mexican side.

Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Andrada; Medina, Rodriguez, Ramos, Arteaga; Ambriz, Chavez; Torres, Canales, Corona; Berterame

Unavailable: Salcedo (Injured)

Questionable:

Inter team news: Trio doubtful

Denzel Dumfries, Piotr Zielinski and Hakan Calhanoglu are carrying knocks and are unlikely to be risked in this opener, which comes fairly soon after a hectic season for the Nerazzurri.

Mehdi Taremi was originally supposed to be with the squad in the USA, but is currently stranded in Tehran due to the ongoing situation there.

Predicted XI (3-5-2): Sommer; Pavard, Acerbi, Bastoni; Zalewski, Barella, Sucic, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Thuram, Martinez

Unavailable:

Questionable: Dumfries (Injured), Zielinski (Injured), Calhanoglu (Injured)

Key stats

• Five-times Concacaf champions, Monterrey incredibly won their confederation’s showpiece tournament five times in eleven seasons between 2010/11 and 2020/21, this includes a tremendous achievement of three titles in succession in 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13.
• Monterrey’s most recent success in the Concacaf showpiece in 2021, when they overcame Club América in the final, saw them earn a berth at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™.
• Monterrey midfielder Lucas Ocampos was in the Sevilla side that defeated Inter 3-2 in the 2020 UEFA Europa League final. His Monterrey team-mate Óliver Torres was an unused substitute for Sevilla in the same game.
• Lucas Ocampos played for Inter’s local rivals AC Milan on loan in 2016/17 after a previous loan spell that same season at Genoa. Other Monterrey players with experience of Serie A are Carlos Salcedo (Fiorentina 2016/17 loan) and Héctor Moreno (Roma 2017/18).
• Monterrey’s veteran Spanish defender Sergio Ramos scored for Real Madrid against Inter in a 3-2 victory in his only previous competitive appearance against the Italian club in the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2020/21 season.
• Monterrey’s captain Sergio Ramos is a FIFA World Cup™ winner having starred in Spain’s successful team at the 2010 finals. Overall, he represented his country at four World Cups and three UEFA European Championship tournaments, winning the latter competition back-to-back in 2008 and 2012.
• Monterrey’s Jesús Corona and Inter’s Mehdi Taremi are former FC Porto team-mates (2020-22).
• Italian champions 20 times, Internazionale have been crowned kings of Europe on three occasions, they have come close to adding a fourth title twice in the last three seasons, losing out in the final against Manchester City in 2023 and against PSG this year.
• Thanks to their strong performances in the UEFA Champions League over the four-year qualification period (2021-2024) – which included their run to the final in 2023, Inter Milan secured their spot at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ via the UEFA ranking pathway.
• Inter have two FIFA World Cup™ winners in their playing squad. Their captain Lautaro Martínez was victorious with Argentina in 2022 and Benjamin Pavard won the global showpiece with France in 2018.
• Lautaro Martínez holds the record as Inter’s top scoring non-Italian player in their history. The Argentina international striker has scored 151 goals in all competitions for the club since joining in July 2018.
• Lautaro Martínez scored a hat-trick for Argentina in a 4-0 win against Mexico in a friendly match in San Antonio (USA) in September 2019.
• Lautaro Martínez won the Golden Boot as the top scorer with five goals when Argentina won the 2024 Copa América, which was played in the USA last summer (June/July).
• Inter’s Lautaro Martínez played on the winning side against Monterrey’s Hector Moreno in Argentina’s 2-0 victory against Mexico in the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
• Inter’s Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij played on the winning side against Monterrey’s Hector Moreno in a 2-1 victory for the Netherlands against Mexico in the round of 16 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
• Inter’s Davide Frattesi and Monterrey’s Roberto de la Rosa found the net for Italy and Mexico respectively when Italy defeated Mexico 2-1 in the group stage at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
• Monterrey’s Erick Aguirre was on the winning team against Inter’s Federico Dimarco in a 2-0 victory for Mexico against Italy in the round of 16 at the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
• Monterrey’s Mexican defender Hector Moreno is one of five players in the 32 rosters to have participated in at least one FIFA World Cup, FIFA Under-20 World Cup and a FIFA Under-17 World Cup previously. Along with Koke (Atlético), Oscar Ustari (Inter Miami), Timothy Weah (Juventus) and Yoon Jong-gyu (Ulsan).

Monterrey vs Inter prediction

Such are the quirks of qualification for this revamped global competition, Mexican side Monterrey are featuring due to their success all the way back in the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League.

Not since 2019 have they tasted domestic glory, and they have a new man in charge for this tournament with Domenec Torrent taking the reins for the first time

2024/25 was a season that promised so much for Inter, with a treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Champions League titles all within their grasp at one point.

However, the Italian side faltered on all three fronts, with their 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in the European Cup final capping off a miserable end to the campaign.

The FIFA Club Works Cup trophy would be an ideal start to life as Inter manager for Cristian Chivu though, and you can be sure there will be plenty of faces out to impress the new boss in this opener.

Neither side will want to give an inch here but Inter’s class should carry them through to a narrow victory, with their steadfast defence capable of keeping out the Mexican hopefuls.

Monterrey vs Inter tip: Inter to win to nil