Lionel Messi delivered a trademark free-kick to lead Inter Miami to a stunning 2-1 comeback win over Porto in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday.
The 37-year-old Argentine curled a sublime second-half set piece into the top corner, leaving Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos helpless and clinching a historic victory for the MLS side in Group A.
Read Also: Messi’s $20.4m salary tops combined payrolls of 22 MLS teams
Porto had taken an early lead through Samu Aghehowa’s eighth-minute penalty after a soft VAR call against Miami defender Noah Allen.
The Portuguese side dominated much of the first half, threatening to extend their lead, but Inter Miami hit back through Telasco Segovia before Messi sealed the win with a moment of brilliance.
“This is a huge joy,” Messi told DAZN. “We competed against a top European side and showed we can match them. It’s an important win — we have to enjoy it.”
The result leaves Inter Miami and Palmeiras on four points each, with Al Ahly and Porto trailing on one. Palmeiras had earlier defeated the Egyptian champions 2-0.
This marked the first competitive victory by an MLS club over European opposition in Club World Cup history, after Chelsea defeated Los Angeles FC earlier in the week.
Despite Messi’s star presence, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium was barely half full at kick-off due to another 3:00 p.m. weekday start, but the crowd swelled to nearly 32,000 by full-time as fans arrived to witness the legend in action.
Co-owned by David Beckham, Inter Miami were formed in 2020 and dramatically raised their profile with Messi’s arrival in 2023. On the pitch, he didn’t disappoint, orchestrating attacks, threading passes, and nearly assisting Luis Suarez twice before delivering the winning goal.
