After Copa Libertadores Win, Marcelo’s Fluminense Could Face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in Revived Competition That Was Discontinued in 1998

Inter Miami and Lionel Messi will look to win more trophies, as an old tournament is on the verge of revival in 2024. The competition, which was discontinued in 1998, led Mexican clubs to venture into the Copa Libertadores, while other CONCACAF teams took their skills to the Copa Sudamericana. With Fluminense winning the Copa Libertadores this season, Lionel Messi and Marcelo will go head-to-head for the cup glory.

Fernando Diniz won Fluminense their first-ever Copa Libertadores title in a 2-1 win against Boca Juniors. Despite coming off as second favorites, the Brasileiro club clinched the trophy in extra-time.

Lionel Messi can win another piece of silverware for Inter Miami

Lionel Messi has a chance to add more silverware to his impressive collection with the revival of the Copa Interamericana on the horizon. The original Copa Interamericana ran for an extensive period from 1969 to 1998 and pitted the winners of the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Copa Libertadores against each other. It was a two-legged competition. However, the tournament experienced variations in its format and participation criteria over the years.

Now, there are plans for a return of the Copa Interamericana as it is reported to kick off in the upcoming year. It will feature a four-club tournament to determine the best team in the Americas from the past 12 months. The participating teams include the champions of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (Club León), the Leagues Cup (Inter Miami), the Copa Libertadores (Fluminense), and the Copa Sudamericana (LDU Quito).

Among the speculations surrounding this revival, what makes the prospect even more exciting for the fans is Messi’s Inter Miami could face off against Marcelo’s Fluminense. This will give both soccer legends another chance at securing more silverware for their respective clubs and will pit the two old rivals against each other

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Meanwhile, Marcelo and Fernando Diniz led Fluminense to their first-ever Copa Libertadores. This was the club’s second appearance in the final stage of the competition, previously losing to LDU Quito in 2008. The Brasileiro club has, since, come a long way.

Fluminense clinch Copa Libertadores title

In a thrilling match, Fluminense won their first-ever Copa Libertadores title as they knocked out Boca Juniors 2-1 in extra time. German Cano scored the opener for Fluminense with a 36th-minute strike, but Luis Advincula’s long-range effort leveled the score for Boca. The game-changing moment of the match came in the 99th minute when John Kennedy scored the winning goal for Fluminense.

However, the celebration turned chaotic as Kennedy received a red card for excessive celebrations. A brawl also erupted between the players during which Boca Juniors’ Frank Fabra slapped Fluminense captain Nino, leading to a red card for him as well.  With this defeat, Boca, who were competing for their seventh Libertadores crown, has now suffered their third consecutive final loss.

Notably, Marcelo, one the most decorated players in Real Madrid’s history with 25 titles, etched his name in the pages of soccer history by winning the Copa Libertadores with Fluminense, cementing his legacy even further.

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Who do you think would win the Messi-Marcelo match-up?