Inter Miami CF made its historic FIFA Club World Cup 2025 debut tonight in what marked another major milestone for the Club just six years since its inception, earning a 0-0 draw against Egyptian side Al Ahly FC in the tournament’s opening fixture. In its young history, Inter Miami has won two titles, established a new record for points in a single MLS regular season and is now competing on the global stage.
Goalkeeper Óscar Ustari starred on the night for Inter Miami, stopping a penalty enroute to securing a clean sheet and the result.
Lineup Notes
Inter Miami kicked off the match with Ustari in goal; Ian Fray, Tomás Avilés, Maximiliano Falcón and Noah Allen formed the back four; Sergio Busquets and Federico Redondo started in midfield, being flanked by Tadeo Allende and Telasco Segovia; captain Lionel Messi and striker Luis Suárez led the team’s attack.
Match Action
The first 45 minutes presented a close matchup with Inter Miami defending stoutly. Ustari rose to the occasion with several key interventions in goal, most notably exhibiting quick reflexes to deny a header from inside the box in the 33rd minute, before saving a penalty from Al Ahly’s Trezeguet in the 43rd minute.
The most dangerous opportunity for Inter Miami in the first half came right before the break, with Allende nearly connecting with a delivery from Messi inside the box, but the cross was met by a goal line clearance from the opposition’s defence.
The second half presented another hard fought 45 minutes, with Inter Miami coming close to netting a late winner. First, a powerful header from second-half-substitute Fafa Picault in the 85th minute was tipped over the bar by Al Ahly’s goalkeeper. Then, deep in added time, a spectacular long range attempt from Messi in the sixth minute of injury time bouncing off the crossbar and a header from Falcón in the eighth minute of stoppage time was met by a save.
In the end, the 0-0 scoreline remained unchanged through the final whistle for Inter Miami to claim a point in its FIFA Club World Cup 2025 debut.
Post-match Reaction
“In the game as a whole, I think we were very nervous and anxious in the first half. That’s also normal given the context, the atmosphere… In the second half, I think we improved a lot. We understood that we had to be more patient when moving the ball from one side to the other. We played in the opponent’s half, created a lot of chances, and the truth is that we leave with the feeling that we could have won in the second half,” said head coach Javier Mascherano.
Next Match
Next, Inter Miami will carry on with group stage action at the Club World Cup, with the team set to take on Porto FC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia this upcoming Thursday, June 19 at 3 p.m. ET.
