Inter Miami began the Club World Cup campaign, but fans have noticed a significant change.
The Club World Cup officially began on Sunday, and fans couldn’t help but notice that the player of the match award had been renamed.
FIFA’s new club competition began in the United States, with Inter Miami against Egypt’s Al Ahly.
Lionel Messi hit the post with a free kick and hit the crossbar with a long-range shot, but neither team was able to break the deadlock.
The MLS team’s 38-year-old goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was instrumental in keeping them in the game, making several vital stops and denying former Aston Villa forward Trezeguet from the penalty spot.
Unsurprisingly, Ustari was selected player of the match, but supporters were taken aback when they saw the name of the post-game award.
Fans couldn’t believe what they were seeing as a graphic on the broadcast suggested Ustari had earned the ‘Superior Player of the Match title’.
One fan asked, “What on earth is a’superior player of the match’?”
A second said, “Games over, mate.”
A different person responded: “I can imagine this while the tournament is going to be full of nonsense and embarrassment.”
A fourth commented, “Utter woke nonsense.”
Why is the Player of the Match award labeled differently?
In most US sports, the top player is awarded the player of the match award or named MVP rather than being dubbed man of the match.
The moniker ‘Superior Player of the Match’ for the Club World Cup comes from a sponsorship partnership with the American beer brand Michelob ULTRA.
The company’s beer’s motto is ‘Superior Light Beer,’ hence the player of the match awards at the Club World Cup are named after it.
The same name was used for the 2024 Copa America tournament in the United States, where Michelob was the principal sponsor of the award.
When is Inter Miami’s next game in the Club World Cup?
Messi returns to action on Thursday, June 19, against Portuguese club FC Porto. They will play Palmeiras of Brazil in the Club World Cup group stage finale.
If they win the Group A runners-up spot, they will face Messi’s previous team, Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
The reunion might be explosive, with the Argentine refusing to congratulate the French winners on their maiden European title following a tumultuous departure from the club in 2023.
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