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Lionel Messi came agonisingly close to snatching a dramatic late winner, but Inter Miami had to settle for a goalless draw against Egypt’s Al Ahly in their Club World Cup debut in Florida on Saturday.
In front of a raucous crowd of 60,927 at Hard Rock Stadium, Messi almost provided a fairytale ending when his curling shot in stoppage time was acrobatically tipped onto the bar by Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. The Egyptian side, backed by over 10,000 travelling fans, also had their keeper to thank for another crucial late save, denying a powerful header from Maxi Falcon.
Earlier, Al Ahly had their own opportunity to take the lead but wasted a first-half penalty. Trezeguet, the Egyptian international and former Aston Villa winger, saw his tame spot kick saved by Inter Miami’s Oscar Ustari, who produced several key stops throughout the night.
Despite the lack of goals, the encounter was far from uneventful. Al Ahly dominated the first half, slicing through Miami’s defence with ease. Emam Ashour, Wessam Abou Ali, and Trezeguet all came close, but Ustari stood firm to keep the scores level. Abou Ali even had a goal disallowed for offside and later forced another save with a powerful drive.
Inter Miami improved after the break, with Messi growing into the game. A free-kick in the 64th minute shaved the outside of the post, momentarily tricking the crowd into thinking it had found the net. His final chance came in the dying minutes following a well-worked short corner routine, but El Shenawy’s fingertip intervention preserved the draw.
Despite concerns from FIFA over fan interest in the newly expanded 32-team Club World Cup, the match drew an impressive turnout, particularly from Al Ahly’s passionate supporters. Organisers avoided a repeat of last year’s chaos during the Copa America final at the same venue by implementing an effective ticket and security system.
Post-match, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano expressed optimism, highlighting his team’s second-half performance as the blueprint going forward. “We could have won it. We played with no fear after the break, and if we continue like that, we can go toe-to-toe with any team,” he said.
Al Ahly boss Jose Riveiro, in his first competitive game with the club, lamented missed chances but praised his side’s travelling fans. “It felt like we were playing in Cairo. That kind of support is unique to a club like Al Ahly,” he said.
Inter Miami now turn their attention to a more testing fixture against Porto in Atlanta on Thursday, followed by a showdown with Brazilian champions Palmeiras.
