Inter Miami kicked off the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup with a Group A opener against Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly in the first match of the revamped competition. In what turned out to be a tense and high-stakes encounter, a scoreless draw didn’t reflect the intensity on the pitch—and head coach Javier Mascherano made sure to underscore that after the match.
Al Ahly controlled the early stages, turning Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari into the standout player of the first half. The Argentine veteran made a crucial penalty save against Mahmoud Trezeguet in the 43rd minute, keeping the Herons in the game.
But the momentum shifted after halftime. Led by Lionel Messi, Inter Miami dominated the second half, pushing Al Ahly deep into their own half and creating several dangerous chances. Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El-Shenawy matched Ustari’s heroics with a stunning save in the closing minutes, denying Messi a spectacular top-corner goal and preserving the draw.
Following the 0-0 result, Mascherano praised his team’s effort and felt they were unfortunate not to come away with the win. “Football is like that. In the first half, maybe they had some chances to score, but at the end, in the 90 minutes, we were much better than them, we controlled the game, we had the possession, we always tried to play in the opposition side of the pitch, and there we created the chances,” he told DAZN.
The Argentine coach emphasized the quality of Inter Miami’s performance: “Obviously, we wanted to win. We know how important it is to start with three points. But I’m happy with the team’s performance. We showed great character. That’s important, especially since a lot of people still don’t really know how we play.”
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Mascherano also addressed the electric atmosphere and the impressive support for Al Ahly in the stadium. “It was difficult,” he admitted. “You see people from all around the world. But when you have a player like Messi, usually the fans end up cheering for your team.”
What’s next for Inter Miami?
With Matchday 1 in the books, Inter Miami will now await the outcome of Sunday’s clash between Palmeiras and Porto to better understand their position in Group A heading into the next round. In the meantime, Mascherano will use the gap to recover players and fine-tune the lineup.
Inter Miami’s next test in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will come on Thursday, June 19, against Porto at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. They’ll then wrap up the group stage against Brazilian giants Palmeiras on Monday, June 23. After drawing against Al Ahly—considered the underdog of the group—the Herons will need strong results to keep their tournament hopes alive.
