Lionel Messi delivered a stunning free-kick to lead Inter Miami to a surprise 2-1 victory over Porto in the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday.
The win boosts the American side’s chances of advancing from Group A, where they now sit alongside Palmeiras with four points each. Porto and Al Ahly both have one point.
Porto started strong, taking the lead through a penalty converted by Samu Aghehowa after a VAR review spotted a foul by Miami’s Noah Allen in the box. The Portuguese side dominated the first half and missed several chances to extend their lead.
But Inter Miami came out stronger in the second half. Telasco Segovia fired home the equaliser after a well-placed cross from Marcelo Weigandt.
Just minutes later, Messi was brought down near the edge of the box and stepped up to take the resulting free-kick. As expected, the 37-year-old curled it into the top corner, leaving Porto’s goalkeeper Claudio Ramos helpless and the crowd stunned.
Despite the early kickoff time of 3:00 pm on a weekday, nearly 32,000 fans eventually made their way into the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, many eager to watch the World Cup and Barcelona legend in action. And Messi didn’t disappoint — he created multiple chances and was the driving force behind Miami’s attack.
Luis Suarez, Messi’s longtime teammate and current Inter Miami striker, had a few chances but was denied by the Porto defence and goalkeeper.
In the closing moments, Miami's players defended with everything they had, blocking shots and clearing their lines under pressure as seven minutes of stoppage time ticked away. The win marks a historic moment as it is the first time an MLS club has beaten a European team in a competitive match at the Club World Cup.
Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham and coached by Javier Mascherano, now look ahead to their next group game with confidence, hoping to continue their fairytale run.
