7 months ago
8
Rob Dawson
Lizzy Becherano
Jun 14, 2025, 10:47 PM ET
MIAMI, Florida -- Inter Miami CF and Al Ahly played retired a 0-0 gully successful beforehand of a steadfast assemblage connected the opening nighttime of FIFA's Club World Cup connected Saturday.
Egyptian broadside Al Ahly had the champion accidental to find a goal, but Trézéguet saw a first-half punishment saved by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who had an outstanding opening 45 minutes.
Lionel Messi, starting the crippled conscionable 4 days aft appearing for Argentina successful the World Cup qualifier against Colombia, was brighter aft half-time and astir helped Miami snatch a winner.
He went adjacent with a escaped kick, astir acceptable up Fafà Picault with a precocious header which was tipped implicit and deed the barroom with an effort successful stoppage-time.
There were fewer fireworks connected the pitch, but FIFA volition number the crook retired for the crippled astatine Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock stadium arsenic a large win. Despite fears implicit a debased attendance up of kick-off, much than 60,000 fans came to ticker the opening crippled of the recently expanded tournament. -- Rob Dawson
Messi, Suares outshone by teammate Ustari
When a squad headlined by Messi and Luis Suárez takes the field, fewer expect for anyone other to shine. However, goalkeeper Ustari managed to bargain the amusement from his world-renowned teammates against Al Ahly successful the Club World Cup opener.
In the archetypal fractional alone, the goalkeeper made 4 important saves from unfastened play to contradict the Egyptians an aboriginal lead. Inter Miami's antiaircraft struggles exposed Ustari to the velocity of Al Ahly's forwards, forcing the goalkeeper into a fig of perfectly timed saves. But it wasn't until the 46th infinitesimal that Ustari cemented his man-of-the-match presumption by redeeming the match-defining penalty. For the archetypal clip since Oct. 28, 2022, Ustari stopped a changeable from the spot -- helping support Inter Miami level.
Though the 38-year-old joined Inter Miami successful September 2024, Ustari lone precocious became the starting goalkeeper aft Drake Callender suffered a semipermanent wounded successful January. The two-time Argentina planetary worked himself up from the seat to the important fig that saved Inter Miami from embarrassment connected the planetary stage.
Ustari finished the team's archetypal lucifer of the Club World Cup with 8 saves, much than the magnitude of shots connected extremity (5) from Inter Miami. The goalkeeper deserves designation for his performance, but his starring relation against Al Ahly astir apt lone exposes Inter Miami's weaknesses. Ustari whitethorn not beryllium capable to prevention the team's struggling defence and injury-laden roster from Group A's different opponents, FC Porto and Palmeiras. -- Lizzy Becherano
Al Ahly discarded aboriginal dominance
Al Ahly were by acold the amended squad successful the archetypal half, but conscionable couldn't find a goal.
As aboriginal arsenic the eighth minute, Inter Miami's defence was being chopped unfastened erstwhile Emam Ashour went cleanable through. Wessam Abou Ali thought he'd scored aft 30 minutes but his effort was ruled retired for offside. It was conscionable earlier the interruption erstwhile Ustari capped disconnected an awesome first-half show by redeeming Trezeguet's penalty.
Despite Inter Miami's amended 2nd half, Al Ahly volition consciousness similar they've missed an opportunity.
Group A is 1 of the much humble and there's a realistic accidental for immoderate of the 4 teams to qualify. Al Ahly volition present apt request to bushed either Palmeiras oregon Porto to suffice and aft drafting with Miami -- a task that won't beryllium easy. They volition person had hopes of doing good successful the U.S. aft finishing 3rd successful the smaller mentation of the tourney successful Saudi Arabia 2023. After an opening gully successful a crippled they astir apt should person won, it volition beryllium uphill from here. -- Dawson
A mixed ambiance astatine Hard Rock for the opener
FIFA volition beryllium blessed that the Hard Rock Stadium was astir afloat for the opening crippled of the Club World Cup. Huge gaps successful the stands for the large kick-off would person been embarrassing for president Gianni Infantino. There were bare seats scattered passim the tiers -- the attendance was announced arsenic 60,927 with Hard Rock's capableness astir 65,000 -- but the assemblage was large capable for FIFA to number it arsenic a success.
They were helped by thousands of supporters wearing Al Ahly colours. There were arsenic galore reddish shirts arsenic pinkish Inter Miami ones and the Egyptian fans were acold louder.
Despite FIFA's insistence that this is simply a superior competition, determination was inactive a pre-season consciousness astir immoderate of it. The players were individually introduced earlier moving onto the transportation up of the kick-off and astatine half-time a postulation of shot legends faced disconnected against YouTuber IShowSpeed successful a crossbar challenge. Former Italian large Alessandro Del Piero won.
Ref cam was a affirmative summation to the coverage. The camera attached to Australian A-League Men authoritative Alireza Faghani gave a adjacent up of his presumption erstwhile helium awarded a first-half punishment to Al Ahly, subsequently missed by erstwhile Aston Villa guardant Trezeguet. -- Dawson
