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The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 kicks off in the United States when Major League Soccer (MLS) club Inter Miami take on Egypt’s Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, on Saturday.

High-profile players and breakout stars from the best leagues in the world will compete in the monthlong club tournament.

Here’s a look at our top 10 players who are set to light up the competition:

⚽ Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)

A record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and arguably the greatest footballer of all time, Messi is expected to steal the limelight at the Club World Cup.

The 37-year-old forward and captain of Inter Miami will be looking to guide the MLS side to the Club World Cup title in front of their home fans during their debut at the tournament.

Making 25 appearances in his full debut season for Inter Miami, Messi scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists, leading them to the MLS Supporters’ Shield triumph in 2024. In the ongoing MLS season, he has made 20 appearances and scored 15 goals.

The forward, who will turn 38 during the tournament, has put Inter Miami in the spotlight since his arrival at the club in 2023.

⚽ Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)

France forward Mbappe joined Real Madrid in 2024 and grabbed the headlines during his first season at the Spanish club, finishing as La Liga’s top scorer with 31 goals.

With 43 goals in 56 matches in all competitions in 2024-25, Mbappe also became Real Madrid’s top goal scorer in a debut campaign, surpassing Ivan Zamorano (37 goals in 1992-93) and Cristiano Ronaldo (33 goals in 2009-10).

To top off a promising debut season, in which he won the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the 26-year-old will look to get his hands on the Club World Cup, which Real have won a record five times.

⚽ Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)

The Brazilian is another Madrid player expected to create havoc on the field.

The 24-year-old scored 21 goals and had 15 assists in 52 matches in all competitions for the Spanish giants, who finished second in the league.

Vinicius, who signed with Real at the age of 17, is regarded as one of the most exciting talents and was seen as an unlucky runner-up at the 2024 Ballon d’Or.

⚽ Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Kane enjoyed the best phase of his career during the 2024-25 season, winning his first major title as Bayern Munich were crowned the Bundesliga champions.

The 31-year-old also made Bundesliga history as the first player to finish as the top scorer in both his first two seasons, netting 26 goals in Bayern’s title-winning campaign.

Kane, who captains England, said his individual achievement marked the “perfect end” to a “brilliant season” with the Bavarians.

The Englishman will be key to Bayern’s chances of lifting their third Club World Cup title, having last won in 2020.

⚽ Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Haaland found the net 31 times in 44 appearances for City in 2024-25 as Pep Guardiola’s side finished third in the Premier League. While they qualified for the Champions League for 2025-26, Haaland was upset at the club’s failure to win a fifth league title in a row, calling it “a horrific season”.

Looking to move on from the disappointment, the Norwegian will be aiming to win the Club World Cup for the first time with City, having missed their 2023 triumph due to injury.

The 24-year-old striker, known for his relentless pursuit of goals, was the third highest goal scorer in the Premier League’s last season with 22.

⚽ Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)

French forward Dembele played a vital role in PSG’s dominant performance en route to the 2024-25 Ligue 1 title as the Parisian club finished a whopping 19 points clear at the top.

Dembele chipped in with 21 league goals in 29 appearances, finishing as the top scorer for the first time. The 28-year-old was also named the Ligue 1 Player of the Season.

With eight goals in the Champions League, Dembele also enjoyed a stellar season in Europe, finishing the campaign by winning the continent’s premier club competition.

PSG will count on Dembele to score more goals and help them land their fifth trophy of the season, having already completed a domestic treble of the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France and French Super Cup.

⚽ Estevao (Palmeiras)

A rising star of Brazilian football, Estevao was Palmeiras’s top performer in 2024, achieving 13 goals and nine assists, as they finished second in the Brazilian Serie A.

The 18-year-old left-footed winger, known for his dribbling and pace, will be joining the English club Chelsea in the 2025-26 season, having agreed on a deal in June 2024 reportedly worth $75m.

Having emerged as one of the most exciting talents in South America, Estevao will represent Palmeiras for the final time at the Club World Cup after they insisted on a clause in the deal with Chelsea to ensure his participation in the competition before he heads to Stamford Bridge.

⚽ Salomon Rondon (Pachuca)

Venezuelan Rondon was Mexican club Pachuca’s top scorer during Liga MX Clasura 2024-25 with 10 goals and three assists. The 35-year-old striker, who previously played for West Bromwich Albion, was also part of Pachuca’s run to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, which they lost to Real Madrid.

Veteran Rondon, his nation’s all-time leading scorer, is a valuable player on the Mexican club, having scored 36 goals in 67 appearances for them in all competitions since his arrival in January 2024 on a free transfer.

⚽ Miguel Borja (River Plate)

Colombia’s Borja is a reliable forward for River Plate, having scored 11 goals during Liga Profesional 2024 in Argentina.

The 32-year-old has made more than 100 appearances at the club and has 60 goals to his name. He also won the Argentinian Primera Division with River Plate in 2023.

At the Club World Cup, South American giants River Plate will rely heavily on Borja to find the net as they make their tournament debut.

⚽ Jhon Arias (Fluminense)

Another Colombian to look out for is the versatile and talented Fluminense winger Arias. The 27-year-old scored 14 goals in 51 matches across all competitions for the Brazilian Serie A club in 2024 as they finished 13th in the 20-team league.

In 2023, Arias was a key figure in the Fluminense side that won their maiden Copa Libertadores title. The same year, he also won the Bronze Ball when Fluminense reached the FIFA Club World Cup final.

Arias’s primary position is on the right wing, but he can also play on the left as well as an attacking or central midfielder.

United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of Marines in Los Angeles to quell protests that have erupted against the arrests of 44 people on Friday for violating immigration laws.

Trump on Monday also doubled the strength of National Guard forces that his administration has deployed in the country’s second largest city to 4,000 soldiers.

His administration has justified the deployments by arguing, in part, that local authorities were failing to ensure the safety of law enforcement officials and federal property.

But the deployment of the Marines – coming on the back of the move to send the National Guard to Los Angeles – has sparked criticism, not just from Trump’s political opponents like California Governor Gavin Newsom but also from the Los Angeles police.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has said the deployment of Marines will make its job harder. Here’s what the dispute is about, and why the LAPD argues that the deployment of military forces could complicate its work:

What are the US Marines?

The Marines are a branch of the US armed forces and are a component of the Navy. The Marine Corps was first established in 1775.

Its soldiers are trained for land and sea operations and have a particular focus on amphibious warfare, which refers to attacks launched from ships onto shore.

US citizens or legal residents who have a high school diploma and are aged 17 to 28 are eligible to enlist for the Marines. They have to undergo an initial strength test to be recruited. Recruits undergo about 13 weeks of initial training to become a part of the Marine Corps. Once a year, each Marine undergoes a battle-readiness test with a focus on physical readiness and stamina.

There are 172,577 active duty Marine personnel in the US as well as 33,036 reserve personnel as of 2023, the latest data released by the US Department of Defense.

What is the Marine deployment?

The US military’s Northern Command released a statement on Monday saying it had activated a Marine infantry battalion in Los Angeles that was on alert over the weekend. About 700 Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and 1st Marine Division will “seamlessly integrate” with National Guard troops deployed in the city, it said.

Initially, the LAPD was involved in quelling civil unrest due to the protests, starting on Friday. On Saturday, Trump deployed about 2,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles County, defying objections by Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

After the Marine deployment announcement, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said an “additional” 2,000 National Guard soldiers would also be mobilised in addition to the 2,000 who had been sent to the city over the weekend.

What did the LAPD say about the Marine deployment?

On Monday, Police Chief Jim McDonnell released a statement saying the LAPD had not received a formal notification that the Marines would be coming to LA.

“The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles absent clear coordination presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,” he said.

McDonnell added that the LAPD and its partners “have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively”.

The LAPD boss urged open and continuous communication between all law enforcement agencies involved to avoid confusion and escalation.

What does the LAPD mean by this?

History indicates that a lack of communication, coupled with differences in approach based on different agencies’ training, can inflame already tense situations that law enforcement officials confront.

While the US routinely sends its Marines on overseas missions, it is rare for the US president to deploy Marines to quell a domestic crisis.

The last time this happened was in 1992 in Los Angeles during protests against the acquittal of four policemen who had been filmed beating Rodney King, a Black man. Six days of riots broke out, and 2,000 National Guard soldiers and 1,500 Marines were deployed in the city. The riots in 1992 resulted in the deaths of 63 people and widespread looting, assaults and arson, unlike the ongoing protests, which have been largely peaceful.

On one occasion in 1992, LAPD officers and Marines were called to respond to a domestic disturbance at a local home.

When they arrived, a shotgun was fired out the front door. A police officer yelled, “Cover me,” which to the police means to prepare to shoot if necessary but to hold one’s fire. For Marines trained for combat, “cover me” means to use firepower. The Marines shot more than 200 bullets instantly as a response to the officer. Three children were inside the home at the time. While no one was killed, federal soldiers were withdrawn from Los Angeles shortly after this.

While the deployment of US Marines to Los Angeles in 1992 was carried out in coordination with state and local authorities, they are now being sent against the wishes of the state government, Bass and the LAPD.

That compounds the risks that could follow, experts said.

“If the administration escalates to active duty troops, especially without coordination with state leaders, it would amount to a militarization of civilian protest, not a restoration of order,” attorney Robert Patillo said in a written statement to Al Jazeera. “That move could violate the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters and would likely inflame tensions on the ground, not resolve them.” 

The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech and assembly.

Is the Marine deployment necessary?

Reports from LA suggest that the National Guard troops who have been activated are barely being used in the city, raising questions about whether the deployment of Marines or additional National Guard soldiers is really necessary.

Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds, reporting from LA, said Monday’s protests organised by unions in the city centre were peaceful.

“[The National Guard] didn’t engage with the protesters. They didn’t do much of anything other than stand there in their military uniforms,” Reynolds said.

On his personal X account, Newsom posted that the initial 2,000 National Guard soldiers were not given food or water. Of them, only 300 were deployed while the rest were sitting in federal buildings without orders, he said. Al Jazeera could not independently verify this.

I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A.

The first 2,000? Given no food or water. Only approx. 300 are deployed — the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders.

This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous…

In another post, Newsom wrote that “the Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying [the Marines] onto American streets.”

U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country — defending democracy. They are not political pawns.

The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend.

It’s a blatant abuse of power.…

On Monday, Newsom announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to end the illegal takeover” of the National Guard. Trump’s federalisation of the National Guard on Saturday marked the first time in 60 years that a US president has activated the guard in defiance of a state governor’s wishes.

“For Trump to deploy regular armed forces, such as the marines, would require him to clear another legal hurdle. He would have to invoke the Insurrection Act, which is very rare and would escalate the situation to a constitutional crisis,” Gregory Magarian, professor of law at Washington University’s School of Law in St Louis, Missouri, told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement.

So far, it is unclear whether Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to deploy the Marines. To activate the National Guard, he did not invoke the Insurrection Act but a similar federal law, Title 10 of the United States Code.

“While the Insurrection Act technically gives the president the authority to deploy active-duty military forces under extreme conditions, we are nowhere near the legal threshold that would justify sending in the marines,” Patillo said.

What is the Trump administration saying?

Hegseth wrote in an X post that Marines had been deployed “due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings”.

“We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers – even if Gavin Newsom will not,” Hegseth wrote.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in an X post on Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who have been leading the immigration arrests, will “continue to enforce the law” despite the protests.

What is the latest update on the LA immigration protests?

Over the weekend, the LAPD arrested 50 protesters: 29 on Saturday and 21 on Sunday.