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Inter Miami star reflects on personal growth ahead of 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
Drake Callender's path to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, live and free on DAZN, was a uniquely American one.
The California-born Inter Miami goalkeeper came up through the San Jose Earthquakes' academy system before playing four seasons of college soccer at UC Berkeley, after which he was traded by the Earthquakes to Miami ahead of the Florida club's first competitive match.
Callender did not go straight to the first team though, as he first cut his teeth with Miami's reserve side before breaking through with the MLS club in 2022. It was an experience that Callender looks back on fondly.
"My professional debut was three years ago now, and we lost 3-1," Callender said. "I think it was a great debut, even though the results weren't amazing. I learned so much in that game.
"It proved as a very good starting point and something for me to build on top of. I was definitely nervous, I was definitely scared, and over time I realized that it was just excitement the whole time."
Callender took over the first team starting job that season, making 28 appearances in all competitions for the Herons in 2022 before playing over 40 games in each of the next two campaigns while Miami became the most popular club in MLS thanks to the 2023 arrival of Lionel Messi.
With more eyes on the club than ever, Callender remained one of the first names on the team sheet in 2023 and 2024, helping the South Florida side to a Leagues Cup victory in 2023 and an MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024.
Now, the club will host the world as the FIFA Club World Cup kicks off in Miami in June. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the 27-year-old.
"Growing up, you have these dreams of maybe being a pro athlete and maybe playing on some team, but to be in a position where we're playing in the Club World Cup now against other top teams around the world, it's pretty exciting, because it doesn't happen all the time, and for it to be in the US is awesome," Callender said. "And you know, to be able to have a tournament here, for Americans to kind of see that level of play, I think is huge. And I trained so long for that moment.
"If you think about all the reps you've done, how far you've come to get to that point in time, the only thing you should be in that moment is excited and waiting for that, you know, and blessed to be in that position."
Callender says consistency will be key as the eyes of the world turn to Inter Miami when they host Al Ahly in the tournament opener on June 14.
"I've been able to kind of construct a routine that allows me to get into a head space where I look at every game as this opportunity to do what I love," he said.
"And you know, the world's watching. There's more pressure, there's more at stake, just a big opportunity for the club, for a lot of players on our team, pretty exciting."
DAZN, the global sports streamer, launched a new episode of 'Days Off' on its DAZN Football channel with Drake Callender of Inter Miami.
'Days Off' is an original series that profiles athletes and entertainers as they enjoy a much-deserved day off.
This episode comes as all 63 games of the FIFA Club World Cup can be watched for free on DAZN this summer.
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