Inter Miami vs Al Ahly: Club World Cup Draw
- MIAMI -- Inter Miami CF and Al Ahly of Egypt played to a scoreless draw Saturday in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup.
- Al Ahly's Trézéguet had a first-half penalty saved by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
- Lionel Messi started for miami just four days after appearing for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia.
Inter Miami, Al Ahly draw in Club World Cup opener
MIAMI — Inter Miami CF and Al Ahly of Egypt played to a scoreless draw Saturday in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup. A crowd of more than 60,000 attended the match at hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins.
Al Ahly’s Trézéguet had a first-half penalty saved by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Ustari had an outstanding first 45 minutes.
Lionel Messi started for miami just four days after appearing for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Colombia. He appeared brighter in the second half and nearly set up Fafà Picault for a late winner. Messi also hit the bar in stoppage time.
Ustari shines for Inter Miami
Despite the presence of stars like Messi and Luis Suárez, Miami goalkeeper ustari stole the show. He made four crucial first-half saves and then stopped Trézéguet’s penalty, his first penalty save since Oct. 28, 2022.
Ustari, 38, joined Inter Miami in September 2024 and became the starter after Drake Callender suffered a long-term injury in January. He finished the match with eight saves, more than Miami’s total shots on goal.
Al Ahly misses chances
Al ahly dominated the first half but failed to score. Emam Ashour was thru on goal in the eighth minute, and Wessam Abou ali had a goal ruled out for offside. Ustari then saved Trézéguet’s penalty just before halftime.
Al Ahly will now likely need to beat either Palmeiras or FC Porto to qualify from Group A. The Egyptian side finished third in the 2023 Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
FIFA will be pleased with the attendance at Hard Rock Stadium. While ther were some empty seats, the announced crowd of 60,927 was considered a success.
The crowd included many Al Ahly supporters, who were louder than the inter Miami fans. The game also featured a pre-season atmosphere, with individual player introductions and a crossbar challenge at halftime won by Alessandro Del Piero.
The use of ref cam, which provided a close-up view from referee Alireza Faghani, was a positive addition to the broadcast.
What’s next
Inter Miami will need to shore up its defense if it hopes to advance in the tournament.The team faces a tough challenge against FC Porto and Palmeiras in its remaining Group A matches.