Monterrey faces Inter Milan in expanded Club World Cup at Rose Bowl Tuesday

CF Monterrey and FC Internazionale Milano meet Tuesday at the Rose Bowl Stadium in a pivotal Group E match of the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, marking the first competitive meeting between the clubs.

The 6 p.m. kickoff launches a contest between teams operating under new leadership. Monterrey appointed Domènec Torrent as head coach May 21, replacing Martín Demichelis. The 62-year-old Torrent previously served as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, winning 23 trophies during their collaboration.

Inter Milan named Cristian Chivu as manager June 9 after dismissing Simone Inzaghi following the team’s devastating 5-0 Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain. The 44-year-old Chivu, a former Inter defender who was part of José Mourinho’s 2010 treble-winning squad, began his senior coaching career at Parma in February 2025, guiding them to Serie A safety with 16 points from 13 matches.

The tournament runs from June 14 to July 13, 2025, featuring 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, a significant expansion from previous formats with six to eight teams. The competition spans 30 days across 12 U.S. venues. The top two teams from each group advance to knockout rounds culminating July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

“The club has reached an agreement with Domenec Torrent to appoint him as the team’s head coach,” Monterrey announced. “The Catalan coach brings a career built alongside some of the world’s best, a balanced, dynamic, and competitive style of play, as well as knowledge of Mexican football.”

“Inter Milan is pleased to welcome Cristian Chivu as the new head coach of the first team,” the club stated. “The coach has signed a contract with Inter until 30 June 2027.”

The Rose Bowl, with capacity of 92,542 and ranking as the fourth-largest stadium in the Big Ten Conference and 11th largest in the United States, will host six tournament matches through June 25. The venue previously staged the 1994 World Cup final, 1999 Women’s World Cup final and 1984 Olympic soccer tournament final.

Weather conditions favor an ideal evening kickoff, with sunny skies and temperatures reaching 88 degrees with a low of 62. The forecast shows zero percent chance of precipitation, 30 percent humidity, 9 mph winds and a UV index of 10, with sunset at 8:06 p.m.

The tournament features a record $1 billion prize pool, with $525 million allocated for participation and $475 million for performance-based rewards. Group stage victories earn $2 million while draws bring $1 million. The eventual champion could earn up to $125 million.

DAZN will broadcast all 63 matches free worldwide. “Through this agreement, billions of soccer fans worldwide can now watch the most widely accessible club soccer tournament ever — FOR FREE,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said.

The teams met once previously in a friendly during the 1994 Tecate Cup in Mexico, where Inter won 1-0 in the semi-final at Estadio Tecnológico. Igor Shalimov scored the decisive goal in the 65th minute.

Monterrey finished second in Liga MX’s Apertura 2024 tournament with a 10-3-4 record, trailing América by seven points. The team was eliminated from the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup in the Round of 16 by Vancouver Whitecaps on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate score.

Inter placed second in Serie A, finishing just one point behind champion Napoli, a significant decline from the previous season when they finished 19 points ahead of second-placed AC Milan.

Betting odds favor Inter Milan heavily at -233, while Monterrey is listed at +600 and the draw at +390. The goal line is set at Inter Milan -1.25 with an over/under of 2.75 total goals.

Transportation options include the Metro A Line to Memorial Park Station, followed by Pasadena Transit Route 33 or a dedicated Rose Bowl Shuttle. Pasadena implemented temporary street closures on Holly Street between Raymond Avenue and Arroyo Parkway from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. to support event operations. Alternative routes include Walnut Street or Del Mar Boulevard for east-west travel and Fair Oaks Avenue or Los Robles Avenue for north-south travel.

Group E also includes CA River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds, with all teams beginning 0-0-0.