Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have been held to a scoreless draw towards Egypt’s Al Ahly within the opening recreation of the Membership World Cup on Saturday night time.
Followers confirmed up en masse for the Group A conflict at Laborious Rock Stadium, house to the Miami Dolphins, however Messi couldn’t totally ship, his greatest probability coming by way of a last-second try that was deflected onto the crossbar.
Miami had its personal success, surviving a first-half onslaught by 12-time African champion Al Ahly, with goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saving a penalty from Trézéguet simply earlier than the break.
Inter Miami will face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta whereas Al Ahly, who benefited from raucous, huge help, will tackle Palmeiras in New York, the place extra of their followers are anticipated to show up.
“We’ve to always enhance as a crew,” Ustari instructed reporters. “We’re a really younger crew, and a few folks do not see it, however Inter made historical past. They’ve solely been creating for a number of years, and in the present day they’re enjoying within the Membership World Cup, so we have now to worth that.
“We end with the sensation that we may have scored, and I feel we have been superior. The upcoming opponent might be fully completely different, so we have now to relaxation and give attention to our future.”
In Miami, 60,927 followers nearly stuffed the 65,000-capacity stadium for Inter Miami’s conflict with Al Ahly, dismissing, no less than on the night time, considerations in regards to the attractiveness of the match that includes 32 groups for the primary time, a 12 months earlier than the World Cup is co-hosted by the U.S.
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No incidents have been reported on the recreation after about 1,000 protesters gathered within the morning close to U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property, about 70 miles north of Miami, waving placards and chanting slogans as a part of coordinated nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations.
Inter Miami, whose house attendances common 20,663 of their 21,550-seat Chase Stadium, has been a significant highway attract 2025, recurrently attracting document crowds throughout the nation since Messi’s arrival in 2023.
Al Ahly, backed by dozens of 1000’s of followers, acquired off to a robust begin however wasted two early possibilities and Ustari parried away Trézéguet’s poorly taken penalty kick after Zizo was fouled within the field by Telasco Segovia.
Messi threatened at instances after spending a while on the bottom after being hit on the knee, however Miami may really feel fortunate to not be behind at halftime.
“I am dissatisfied with the end result. We may have taken all three factors. We respect Inter Miami and their big-name gamers, however we may’ve completed the sport within the first half by scoring three or 4 targets,” Al Ahly ahead Wessam Abou Ali mentioned.
Miami, nevertheless, stepped up a gear after the break, and Messi got here shut when his properly curled 25-yard free kick kissed the submit and hit the aspect netting.
With six minutes left, the World Cup winner scooped an ideal cross for Fafà Picault, whose header was tipped over the bar by Mohamed El Shenawy.
He got here an inch shut within the dying second when his curled strike from outdoors the field was tipped onto the bar by El Shenawy.
“I feel proud of the efficiency, significantly better within the second half,” Miami head coach Javier Mascherano instructed DAZN. “Within the second half, I feel we created possibilities, we managed the sport and we had the probabilities to attain and win the sport
“Perhaps within the first half we have been excited, we have been nervous, we did not transfer the ball from one aspect to the opposite. So we tried to translate to the gamers to be calm, we have now to maintain possession, we are able to discover the areas to assault higher.”
The Membership World Cup continues Sunday with Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain taking up Atlético Madrid and Bayern Munich enjoying Auckland Metropolis.
Data from ESPN’s Lizzy Becherano, Reuters and The Related Press was used on this report.
