In a thrilling Group A clash of the Club World Cup on Thursday, Lionel Messi delivered yet another moment of brilliance, curling home a trademark free-kick to lead Inter Miami to a 2-1 comeback victory over Portuguese side Porto. The win, held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, marks a landmark achievement for Major League Soccer, being the first competitive victory by an MLS club over European opposition in this tournament.
Porto had taken an early lead through Samu Aghehowa, who converted a penalty in the eighth minute following a contentious VAR decision. Miami’s Noah Allen was judged to have fouled Joao Mario with minimal contact in the box, and although goalkeeper Oscar Ustari got a hand to the shot, Aghehowa’s effort found the net.
The Portuguese side dominated the first half, coming close on several occasions. Ustari was called into action repeatedly, including a close-range save from Aghehowa and a near mishap when a shot struck the post and rebounded off his back. Defender Maximiliano Falcon also came to Miami’s rescue, clearing off the line to deny Rodrigo Mora.
However, the second half saw a shift in momentum. Inter Miami equalized just after the restart when Marcelo Weigandt’s precise cut-back found Telasco Segovia, who rifled a shot past Porto’s Claudio Ramos. The goal breathed life into the American side and set the stage for Messi’s heroics.
Just minutes later, the 37-year-old Argentine was fouled outside the box and stepped up to take the resulting free-kick. In classic Messi fashion, he sent the ball soaring into the top-right corner, igniting celebrations among the nearly 32,000 fans in attendance—many of whom had trickled in after a sparsely attended kickoff due to the weekday afternoon schedule.
From there, Miami showed grit and determination, throwing bodies in front of shots and withstanding a late Porto surge. With seven minutes of stoppage time announced, the tension mounted, but Javier Mascherano’s side held firm, embodying the defensive spirit of their coach.
The result leaves Inter Miami and Brazilian giants Palmeiras level at four points each atop Group A, after Palmeiras’ earlier 2-0 win over Al Ahly. With one match remaining, both teams are in strong positions to progress, while Porto and Al Ahly sit on one point each.
