Messi’s magic falls short as Inter Miami, Al Ahly share points in Club World Cup opener

Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy made a crucial save on a lofted shot from Lionel Messi deep into stoppage time, as Inter Miami CF and Al Ahly FC battled to a 0-0 draw in the opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday night in Miami Gardens, Florida.

El Shenawy and the Egyptian side withstood heavy pressure in the final moments in front of more than 60,000 fans at the Hard Rock Stadium, surviving a flurry of three Inter Miami corner kicks to preserve the draw.



The match saw a dramatic shift in momentum — Al Ahly controlled much of the first half, but Inter Miami surged in the second, dominating possession and creating several late chances.


Inter Miami created several scoring opportunities in the second half, with Messi narrowly missing the target on a free kick that grazed the post, followed by a curling long-range strike in stoppage time that rattled the crossbar.

Inter Miami came close to breaking the deadlock in the 85th minute when Messi lofted a precise pass into the box for Fafa Picault, whose header bounced off the turf and sailed just over the crossbar.

In the dying moments, Messi nearly delivered a dramatic winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time. He unleashed a curling effort that seemed destined for the top corner, only for Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to leap and stretch out his right hand, deflecting the ball off the crossbar and out, leaving Messi wincing in frustration.

While Inter Miami controlled much of the second half, they had to weather a flurry of chances from Al Ahly in the first. The Egyptian side's best opportunity came in the 43rd minute when Trezeguet stepped up for a penalty. However, Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari guessed correctly, diving to his left to make a brilliant save.

Messi had another look at goal in the 57th minute, firing a powerful shot toward the left post, but El Shenawy was once again equal to the task, denying the Argentine star with a sharp stop.

Both teams collected a point in Group A, which also features FC Porto of Portugal and Brazil’s Palmeiras. The top two advance to the round of 16.

Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta while Al Ahly will take on Palmeiras in New York.