Next week’s Club World Cup group stage won’t actually be the first time Inter Milan have faced Monterrey.
As today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via InterNews, note, the Nerazzurri took on the Mexican side in a friendly match in 1994.
Inter Milan face Monterrey in the opening match of the group stage at the FIFA Club World Cup.
The clash will take place on Tuesday evening local time in California. However, it will be at 3.00 CET the following morning in Europe.
The Club World Cup will give European teams like Inter to face opposition that they’d ordinarily come up against.
Inter Milan certainly do not face Mexican opposition very often.
However, as the Gazzetta note, the Nerazzurri have actually taken on Monterrey before. And it happened almost exactly thirty years ago.
Inter and AC Milan travelled to Mexico in 1994. This was part of a friendly tournament called the Tecate Cup.
That was right after the Nerazzurri had won the UEFA Cup at the end of the 1993-94 season.
In the semifinals of the Tecate Cup, Inter beat Monterrey. Meanwhile, Milan lost to Chivas.
Then, Chivas made it two wins from two against Milan derby opposition, beating Inter in the final.
