Messi’s signing by Inter Miami has influenced CONCACAF football. In the United States, the Messi effect led to a significant increase in ticket prices for matches where he would appear. Much of the region would like to see the current world champion play in person and a good portion of clubs would like to face him, among them Real Estelà and Derrien, who have the chance to do so through club tournaments. CONCACAF.
The current national champion and runner-up, respectively, will meet their rivals this Thursday afternoon in the recently created CONCACAF Central American Cup, the new club tournament that replaces the CONCACAF league. The top two places in the group advance to the quarter-finals. It is expected that due to the investments they are making, Tren del Norte and Caciques will fight for that second place, which will not be easy.
The semi-finalists and the two winners of the playoffs qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League which is expanded to 27 participants. In other words, if Estelle or Diringen are among the top positions in their groups, their chances of participating in the most important club tournament in the region are substantial because if they lose the key to the quarter-finals, they have a place in the round of 16. There will be more opportunities. Repechage – played between the four eliminated teams – where Estelli qualified for this tournament by eliminating Motagua in 2020.
Inter Miami is in last place in its conference this season and has no title aspirations, giving it one of MLS’ five tickets to the Champions League. The only way they have through is the US Open Cup where they beat Birmingham Legion 1-0 this Wednesday, putting themselves through to the semi-finals against Cincinnati on August 23 with Messi already in their ranks. The champion of the America’s Cup tournament begins in a preliminary round with 23 other clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean, in which Nicaragua can be one of the teams.
