Giroud talks about his feelings about the Club World Cup on behalf of the American League, hoping to win respect against his old club

FIFA's newly revamped Club World Cup will officially kick off this weekend. French striker Giroud, who represented Los Angeles FC, said before the game that this event provides a great platform for the Major League of Professional Football to show its strength to the world.

This year's Club World Cup has expanded to 32 teams. The Major League Soccer League has three teams shortlisted, namely Los Angeles FC, which Giroud plays for, Miami International led by Messi and Seattle Bayer. The opening match of the event will be staged on June 15, with International Miami against Egyptian powerhouse Cairo Nationals.

As a former French international, Giroud, who switched to Los Angeles FC from AC Milan last year, said bluntly at a media meeting that he believes the Major League Soccer is underestimated worldwide. "We are honored to represent this excellent club in Los Angeles FC, and we know we represent the entire FC," Giroud said. "I believe that the players in Seattle and Miami understand this responsibility. This league is underrated, in large part because it fails to get equal global exposure. I hope we can perform well and prove the level of the league to the world."

The promotion path of Los Angeles FC is quite dramatic. Because Mexican team Leon was suspended at the last moment, Los Angeles FC was able to catch the last bus of the Club World Cup through a playoff scheduled temporarily last month. They were assigned to a strong group, with opponents in the same group including Premier League giants Chelsea, Brazil League giants Flamenco and Tunisian team Tunisia Hope.

Looking forward to the first match against former owner Chelsea, Giroud admitted that Los Angeles FC will play as a challenger, but he encouraged the whole team to embrace this identity. "This is the role we can embrace. I hope Chelsea, Flamenco, Tunisia hope and all the opponents will have great respect for the quality of our players, the intensity of the game and the commitment of our players," Giroud said. "If we can win such respect after every game, we will be proud."