Football Match: Inter Miami and Al Ahly Draw in FIFA Club World Cup
Unleashing the Beast: Inter Miami and Al Ahly Battle to a Draw in the Club World Cup Kickoff
In a riveting opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Lionel Messi spearheaded a gritty second-half performance from Inter Miami, resulting in a thrilling 0-0 draw with Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
The first half was dominated by the Egyptian giants, who tested Inter Miami's resilience with numerous chances, but the laundry list of saves by Inter keeper Óscar Ustari kept his team in the thick of it. Even when Trezeguet stepped up for a penalty in the 43rd minute, Ustari rose to the challenge, denying Al Ahly a potentially decisive goal.
The second period saw a noticeable improvement in Inter Miami's play, with Messi and his teammates stepping up their game significantly. In the dying moments, Messi thundered a long-range effort off the crossbar, and Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El Shenawy had to resort to acrobatics to keep out a late left-footed curler from the Argentine maestro.
Just when it seemed Inter Miami had the winning goal at their mercy, El Shenawy came up big once more, denying Maximiliano Falcon's header from a corner deep in stoppage time.
In the wake of the tense clash, Inter head coach Javier Mascherano lauded his side's second-half performance, acknowledging that their keeper was the driving force behind their precious point.
A host of close-range chances were squandered by Wessam Abou Ali and Emam Ashour, but arguably the most decisive moment came when Zizo cut into the box before being backed down by Telasco Segovia, leading to a penalty call. Trezeguet stepped up, sending his kick to his left, only for the alert Ustari to guess correctly and save the day for Inter Miami.
Despite the narrow result, Al Ahly's new manager, Jose Riviera, saw positives in the performance, admitting that some adjustments would have to be made for their next outing. The overwhelming presence of Egyptian fans at the stadium failed to translate to victory on the field.
The upcoming clash in Group A sees Palmeiras of Brazil taking on Porto of Portugal. Inter Miami will face Porto, while Al Ahly will square off against Palmeiras in round two, set for Thursday.
Bonus Insight: With 155 trophies under their belt, Al Ahly hold the title of the most successful football club in the world.
References:
- Al Jazeera (2025). "FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Inter Miami and Al Ahly play out goalless draw" https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/15/fifa-club-world-cup-2025-inter-miami-and-al-ahly-play-out-goalless-draw
- Goal.com (2025). "Lionel Messi fires Inter Miami to 0-0 draw with Al Ahly in FIFA Club World Cup" https://www.goal.com/en/news/lionel-messi-fires-inter-miami-to-0-0-draw-with-al-ahly-in-fifa-club/blt3f6c0f4a2f72250f
- Soccer News (2025). "Inter Miami vs Al Ahly: Player ratings, highlights as Lionel Messi inspires 0-0 draw" https://www.soccernews.com/north-america/366554-inter-miami-vs-al-ahly-player-ratings-highlights-as-lionel-messi-inspires-0-0-draw
- ESPNFC (2025). "Inter Miami 0-0 Al Ahly: Player ratings as Lionel Messi and Oscar Ustari star in draw" https://www.espn.com/football/match?gameId=681658
- Football365 (2025). "FIFA Club World Cup: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly player ratings, match report, score, reaction" https://www.football365.com/world-cup/2025-club-world-cup/fixtures/inter-miami-vs-al-ahly/match-report/23015901
- The thrilling 0-0 draw between Inter Miami and Al Ahly in the Club World Cup kickoff was ably explained by pundits, with the performance of Inter keeper Óscar Ustari and Argentine maestro Lionel Messi being key topics.
- Amidst the intense competition of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, various media outlets provided expert analysis on issues such as the political implications of Arab clubs participating in international sports competitions, including the potential impact on regional conflict.
- While the lack of goals in the match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly may have disappointed fans, politics enthusiasts found interest in the ideological differences between the management teams of both clubs, with Jose Riviera, Al Ahly's new manager, representing a departure from the traditional Egyptian approach, and Inter's Javier Mascherano employing more modern tactics.
