Inter Miami CF came from behind to defeat Porto 2–1 to pull-off the upset in one of the greatest days in club history.
The Herons started the game positively but it was short-lived. Noah Allen brought down João Mário inside the box with an avoidable tackle, leading to Samu Aghehowa opening the scoring for Porto from the penalty spot.
Miami settled down and responded emphatically in the second half, with two goals less than 10 minutes. First, Venezuela international Telasco Segovia unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner. Then, Lionel Messi announced himself in the Club World Cup stage with a perfect free-kick to complete the comeback in the 54th minute.
Javier Macherano’s side defended with might and secured a brilliant result, one that places them tantalizingly close to advancing to the knockout rounds of the competition. The deserved win sees Miami go level with Palmeiras atop Group A with four points.
Watch the FIFA Club World Cup live and on-demand hereThe Herons Show Their Mental Fortitude
The Herons took the game to Porto early, looking determined and sharp from the moment the starting whistle blew. With Messi quarterbacking the attack, Miami looked dangerous and Luis Suárez was inches away from scoring the game’s opener before the five minute mark.
Macherano’s side were outright better than Porto, that was until Allen naively clipped Mário on the foot as he entered the box, leading to a VAR review that resulted in a penalty-kick that Samu dispatched in the 8th minute. It was the first action where the Portuguese side entered Miami’s box.
The goal was a gut-punch for the Herons, who struggled to regain control of the game as Porto settled once they had the advantage, on top for the remainder of the first half.
Instead of capitulating in the second half, Miami showed their character and did the complete opposite. Led by their veteran stars, Macherano’s side drastically improved out of the tunnel and dominated Porto, completing a more than deserved comeback.
Every single player that took the pitch for Miami helped both in and out of possession, tirelessly running to defend whilst still having a cool head with the ball at their feet. It was a full team effort that resulted in arguably the best performance of the Mascherano era.
Inter Miami Stars Shine When Most Needed
When Miami’s uphill climb looked to be too steep, Messi and Sergio Busquets took over.
The greatest player of all time was at the heart of every attack, continuously asking for the ball and looking to thread dangerous passes to play other attackers through on goal. Messi looked determined to guide Miami to victory and his stunning free-kick proved to be the game winner. It’s not an exaggeration to say that on the day, Messi was the best player on the pitch.
If Messi was the Batman of Miami’s comeback, then Busquets was the perfect Robin.
It’s astonishing how the 37-year-old former Barcelona man is still more than capable of dictating the game from midfield. Miami's first goal doesn’t happen where it not for a vintage Busquets body feint to get away from his man, leading to the start of the action that cluminated with Segovia’s goal. Whenever the team needed clarity, Busquets was an available outlet to recycle the ball and, with one or two touches, find an open man in an advantageous position.
They might be past the peak of their powers, but today, Messi and Busquets reminded us that class is permanent. Don’t take these perfromances for granted, it’s two living legends of the sport showing they can still be difference-makers on a big stage.
A Historic Result for MLS
Miami’s victory isn’t just one of the greatest ever results in the club’s young history, it’s also a historic result for U.S. soccer as a whole: the first win ever in the Club World Cup by an MLS side.
Seattle Sounders became the first MLS side to participate in the Club World Cup back in 2023, but lost their one and only game in the previous version of the tournament vs. Al Ahly and were eliminated.
In the opening round of this new-look format of the competition, Miami’s draw in the inaugural game was the best result of all three MLS sides in the tournament. LAFC lost to Chelsea and Seattle Sounders lost to Botafogo.
The win is also the first of any North American team in the summer tournament, as Liga MX sides Monterrey and Pachuca drew and lost respectively.
It’s a monumental result for Miami that puts them within touching distance of the round of 16. A draw vs. Palmeiras in their last game of the group stage will suffice for Messi and co. to reach the knockout rounds of the Club World Cup.
