Sergio Busquets has called on Inter Miami CF to perform with “desire and ambition” in their FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ showdown with FC Porto on Thursday.
The Atlanta clash is tantalisingly poised, with all four teams in Group A locked on one point after the first round of matches.
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Victory would see Miami take a significant leap towards qualifying for the tournament’s knockout phase. And while Busquets is under no illusions about the size of the task at hand, he is convinced his team boast the collective quality and character to compete with the Portuguese giants.
“We will (go into the game) with a lot of desire, a lot of excitement,” he said. “We know it’s going to be a very difficult match. But we can draw on a huge amount of experience in international tournaments from many players. We also have good young players. We’ll try to do better (than in our first match) and to have that enthusiasm, that ambition.”
Miami contested the opening game of the tournament, playing out a compelling draw with Al Ahly FC at Hard Rock Stadium.
The match provided a fascinating contrast in styles, and Busquets is braced for another stern test against Porto. The 36-year-old explained why a strong defensive foundation will be key to securing a positive result.
“Porto have a very defined system, which the coach [Martin Anselmi] has given them,” said Busquets. “They have very good players. They’ve also signed new players, they’ve strengthened, and we know it’s going to be very difficult. They are a team that competes almost every year to win its domestic title, where they also have great teams like Sporting and Benfica.
“We’ll try to be as solid as possible, to do our best with teamwork, and then have some individuality. Above all, we want be solid and try to keep a clean sheet.”
In a glittering career, Busquets won nine La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions League crowns with Barcelona. While his Barça team were battling it out for honours with Real Madrid C.F, Busquets often linked up with Xabi Alonso – Los Blancos’ recently-appointed new coach – in midfield at international level. They were in the squad which won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and both started La Roja’s final victory over the Netherlands.
When asked if he envisioned his old Spain team-mate having a successful career in the dugout, Busquets replied: “You never know, right? But it’s clear that players who play in central midfield are usually the ones who think the most, the ones who are in the middle of everything, and they tend to be good coaches. Xabi liked football, he spoke very well, he knew everything that was happening in each game, and he showed promise, so then he became a coach and he’s done very well so far.”
