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Published : 20 Jun 2025, 10:21 AM
Lionel Messi connected on a free kick in the 54th minute to propel Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over FC Porto in a Group A match of the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday afternoon.
After Porto struck first on Samu Aghehowa's penalty kick in the eighth minute, Marcelo Weigandt assisted on Telasco Segovia's game-tying goal in the 47th.
Miami found its second goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half against Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos as Messi scored on the 68th free-kick goal of his illustrious career.
Each team netted their first goals of the tournament after Miami tied Al Ahly 0-0 on Saturday and Porto suffered the same result against Palmeiras on Sunday.
After VAR review confirmation, it was determined that Miami's Noah Allen committed a tripping penalty in the box against Joao Mario, leading to Aghehowa's penalty goal that was deflected by goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and in for the game's first goal in the eighth minute.
Aghehowa, 21, had 19 goals in 30 Primeira Liga matches for the Portuguese side this past season.
Miami knotted the score at one less than 90 seconds into the second half, as Weigandt's cross into the centre of the box was finished by Segovia, who fired in the equalizing goal past a sprawling Ramos.
The Major League Soccer side then continued its great start to the second half, as Porto's Rodrigo Mora's foul led to Messi's successful free kick -- perfectly placed in the top right corner in the 54th minute.
Despite Porto tallying 14 shots on goal to Miami's six, five of Miami's were on goal opposed to just three from Porto.
Ramos -- a longtime Portuguese goalkeeper for Porto -- finished with three saves after making four saves in the tournament opener against Palmeiras. Ustari -- in his second season for Miami -- made just one save after an extraordinary performance against Al Ahly, in which he made eight saves.
Inter Miami's win over Porto boosts their chances of a deep run in a tournament designed to pit champion clubs from across the globe against one another. The competition is taking place in 12 stadiums across the United States.
After FIFA controversially granted Javier Mascherano's side a backdoor entry, Messi became front and center in the revamped competition, drawing crowds while continuing to elevate the sport in a country long lukewarm toward the world's game.
The result also offers a glimpse at how North and South American sides stack up against traditionally dominant European sides.
Inter Miami captain Messi said: "It's a great joy. A lot of effort went into it, and we worked very well. I'm very happy. We were left with a bitter taste after the first match. We thought we could have won it.
"(In the free kick) I took advantage of the space left by the goalkeeper, who was standing still and not covering his post. I tried to score there.
"The other day (there were) nerves from a lot of young guys playing in such a significant competition. We've changed. We're going to compete, try to play our game. Today we were the inferior team, but we have our weapons. Next up is Palmeiras, which is a big club in the world. It's going to be another very difficult game."
