Lionel Messi delivered another trademark moment of brilliance to inspire Inter Miami to a shock 2-1 comeback victory over Porto in the Club World Cup on Thursday. The Argentine icon curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner in the second half, securing an unexpected win for the MLS side and boosting their hopes of advancing from Group A.
Both Inter Miami and Palmeiras now sit on four points, after the Brazilian champions defeated Al Ahly 2-0 earlier in the day. Porto and Al Ahly are left with one point each.
Porto initially looked in control, taking the lead inside the opening 10 minutes. A soft penalty was awarded following a VAR review after minimal contact between Noah Allen and Joao Mario.
Samu Aghehowa stepped up to convert, beating goalkeeper Oscar Ustari—despite the Miami stopper getting a hand to it.
The Portuguese side dominated much of the first half and had several chances to extend their lead. Rodrigo Mora came closest, only for Maximiliano Falcón to clear his goal-bound effort off the line.
Alan Varela also struck the post, with the ball ricocheting off Ustari’s back before the goalkeeper scrambled to smother it.
But Inter Miami turned the game on its head after the break. Within minutes of the restart, Telasco Segovia hammered home Marcelo Weigandt’s cut-back to level the score. Moments later, Messi took over.
Fouled just outside the box, he stepped up and curled an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner after 54 minutes—yet another addition to his legendary collection.
From there, Javier Mascherano’s side dug deep. Porto pushed for an equaliser, but Inter Miami’s defence held firm, throwing themselves in front of every shot in a display of gritty determination reminiscent of their head coach’s playing days.
Though the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was only half-full at the 3:00 pm kickoff, the crowd swelled to nearly 32,000 by full-time, many drawn by the chance to see Messi, who lived up to the billing as the tournament’s main attraction.
The win marks a historic moment for MLS—its first competitive victory over European opposition—coming just days after Chelsea defeated Los Angeles FC.
Co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, Inter Miami has risen rapidly in profile since joining MLS in 2020 and signing Messi in 2023. Thursday’s win may go down as one of the club’s defining moments.
