Club World Cup updates: Messi magic as Inter Miami stun Porto

Posted by Multiple contributors | 4 hours ago | Sport | Views: 14


The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is off and running, and has produced plenty of talking points and storylines already. Let’s catch you up on what’s happening, what you’ve missed and what’s still to come.

We will update this file throughout each matchday with the latest reporting, analysis and fun from the competition, so check back regularly for the latest news as we follow the fun leading up to the tournament final at MetLife Stadium on July 13.

The lead: Messi brilliant as Inter Miami collect a famous win over Porto

ATLANTA — The familiar “Messi, Messi, Messi” chants echoed throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium as Lionel Messi set up the ball just outside the box for a free kick in the 54th minute of the match. Fans sang in unison, briefly stopping when the Inter Miami captain stepped toward the ball. Silence took hold in the stands before crowds erupted into cheers after Messi’s 68th career direct free kick for club and country.

His remarkable set-piece goal gave Inter Miami a 2-1 lead they didn’t give up as the Major League Soccer side completed a famous victory over FC Porto to fully ignite their Club World Cup campaign.

It was a game of firsts for Inter Miami: It was their first win in the 2025 Club World Cup after failing to score in the inaugural match against Al Ahly, and conceding an early penalty by Porto in the first half. It was also the first win by a Concacaf team over a European team in FIFA international club competitions, the confederation going 0-3-10 (W-D-L) prior to Thursday’s clash in Atlanta.

The free kick was also Messi’s 50th goal for Inter Miami in 61 games, reaching the half-century faster than he did for Barcelona (119 appearances) or the Argentina national team (107 appearances).

In the lead-up to the Club World Cup, many wondered if Messi and the other former Barcelona veterans (Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez) could live up to the pressure and level of European clubs as they once did in LaLiga. Messi admitted to having different expectations of this tournament than when he competed in the earlier editions of the Club World Cup with Barcelona.

“Having the chance to be part of it is exciting,” Messi said to FIFA. “The expectations I have are different to the ones I had when I played for other teams, but I’m eager and I look forward to competing against the best [teams] and doing well.”

But the Argentine forward, who is 37, showed signs of his classic self in the second half against Porto, weaving through defenders and reading the game perfectly in helping Miami to victory. His brilliant finish came barely seven minutes after Telasco Segovia (who was impressive in midfield) leveled for Miami in a bright start to the second half, rifling a first-time finish into the top corner from Marcelo Weigandt’s low right-wing cross.

The win gives Inter Miami a chance to advance to the knockout round of the competition, the indicator of success set up by head coach Javier Mascherano and co-owner Jorge Mas. In that push, Messi is the driving force for Inter Miami’s success in any competition, the team clearly leaning on his magic whenever possible.

No stage is too big for Messi, regardless of the color or badge on his jersey.

Today’s top Club World Cup news

• Mbappe hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis
• Man City’s Soriano: Club ‘accelerated’ squad overhaul
• Chelsea’s Palmer wanted No.10. shirt to emulate Messi

Sights and sounds around FIFA Club World Cup

The heat is on for fans as well as players

MIAMI — You’ve paid hundreds of dollars for tickets, and you’re excited to take your family to watch the club you support play a competitive match, against a top team, at home in the United States. But the game is kicking off at midday in June at the storied Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., a stadium where there’s no roof to protect the crowd from the sun.

Many fans who attended Sunday’s game between Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid have spoken out about the conditions, complaining about the heat, long queues for refreshments, and limited access to water.

“It was uncomfortable,” Jonathan Nettler, who attended the game with his wife and 12-year-old twin sons, told ESPN. “It definitely lessened the experience. My wife and boys had to leave the bowl several times during the game to find shade and get a respite. But we survived.”

A reported 80,619 fans attended the match, the most at the Club World Cup so far. Players and both coaches criticized the noon local kickoff time, with PSG’s Luis Enrique saying the game was “clearly impacted” by the heat.

“We spent most of the second half on a crusade for sunscreen, food and souvenirs,” Nettler told ESPN. “We didn’t have problems getting drinks. But my wife stepped out of a food line to help an older woman who felt faint. And she said she saw two instances of kids on stretchers being assisted by medical services.”

Despite all that, Nettler and his family are back at the Rose Bowl on Thursday for PSG vs. Botafogo. “We’re hoping we’ll be able to enjoy the game more, as they’re predicting lower temperatures, and the game starts at 6 p.m.,” he said. “It’s not a surprise that summer in the U.S. is hot. I’m sure the teams that tour here annually are familiar with it. But the midday start times are unusual, and extra-challenging.”

A FIFA spokesperson told ESPN that “FIFA’s top priority is the health of everyone involved in football,” saying the organization had “deployed venue medical officers, who work in close cooperation with the local medical authorities to address key health matters, including heat management.” Fans could bring empty, transparent, reusable plastic bottles into venues, the spokesperson said, and FIFA would “continue to monitor the weather conditions… to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience.” — Alex Kirkland

Palmeiras shrug off weather issues to beat Al Ahly

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — After a slow start, Palmeiras took off in the second half and beat Al Ahly 2-0 at MetLife Stadium in the Group A second round of the FIFA Club World Cup. The crowd was again a talking point. Only 35,179 fans attended, according to the officials, despite the stadium, which will be one of the venues for the 2026 World Cup, having 85,500 seats, but the game still provided plenty to unpack for both sides.

The Brazilian team withstood the “heat” from the Egyptians (and the thermometer, with temperatures in the high 80s with intense humidity) in the first half. After the break, coach Abel Ferreira made some smart changes, with substitute striker Flaco López deciding the game.

During a match that was interrupted for 45 minutes because of a “severe weather alert” in the area, Flaco made the difference. First, he disrupted Ahly’s defense during a set piece and pressured center forward Abou Ali to score an own goal, opening the scoring. Shortly after, López received a perfect assist from Maurício in a potent counterattack and scored to settle the encounter.

After the final whistle, coach Abel Ferreira took off his shirt and gifted it to a Palmeiras fan in the stands. — Francisco De Laurentiis, ESPN Brazil

Foden enjoying himself in Florida

BOCA RATON, Fla. — One of the quirks of the global FIFA tournaments is players being asked unexpected questions.

After his man-of-the-match performance in Man City’s 2-0 win over Wydad AC on Wednesday, Phil Foden was excitedly asked by one reporter for his thoughts about Brazilian football. Foden laughed and threw it back to the reporter. “What do you think of Brazilian football?” was his tongue-in-cheek response, before complimenting the “flair” of South American teams.

Foden appeared dejected when he talked to reporters at Wembley in May after the FA Cup final, but he looked far more comfortable and content in the mixed zone at Lincoln Financial Field. After training in Florida on Thursday morning, the England midfielder was all smiles as he posed for a picture sitting on a Boca Raton police motorcycle. It appears that taking a break rather than playing in England’s June internationals has done him good. — Rob Dawson

The reason Palmer wears a mask

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. — Cole Palmer is a man of few words, but those words are usually compelling.

Speaking to reporters at Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park on Thursday — where Chelsea are training for the next week — the 23-year-old ended a mystery that began when the Blues arrived in the United States.

Palmer was pictured getting off the plane in Atlanta with a mask. Why was he wearing it? Was he ill? Was he protecting himself from a possible COVID outbreak? Blues boss Enzo Maresca thought he might have been doing it as a joke. Finally, Palmer revealed why.

“It wasn’t a joke: I just don’t like the smelly planes,” Palmer said. “That’s why I wear a mask. When I travel, I don’t like the smells so that’s why I wear them. It’s stuff like that, nothing else. [Maresca] doesn’t know: I didn’t tell him, but he didn’t ask me, to be fair.”

Palmer will be grateful that Chelsea’s final two Group D games are in Philadelphia and won’t require additional travel. But if Chelsea win Group D, their tournament path would run through Miami and Atlanta en route to East Rutherford; if they finish second, they’d face a round of 16 game in Charlotte, North Carolina, before heading north once more. — James Olley

Star player of the day

To be named later

Pick to follow … — Roberto Rojas

Match previews, odds for Friday

Benfica vs. Auckland City FC (Group C; East Rutherford, NJ, Noon ET)

Odds (via ESPN BET): Benfica (N/A), Draw (+3800), Auckland City FC (+10000)

Preview to follow…

Flamengo vs. Chelsea (Group D; Philadelphia, Penn., 3 p.m. ET)

Odds: Flamengo (+280), Draw (+250), Chelsea (-110)

The top two sides in Group D face off in Philadelphia for a match that will, in all likelihood, decide who finishes in top spot. Flamengo and Chelsea meet in a competitive game for the first time — their previous meeting in a friendly was 27 years ago — but there are more recent links between the clubs.

Flamengo are managed by Filipe Luis, who made 26 appearances for Chelsea in 2014-15, and Jorginho signed for the Brazilian club this summer after leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal in 2023. Chelsea beat LAFC in a sparsely populated stadium in Atlanta, but more than 50,000 fans are expected in Philly this time. — Olley

LAFC vs. Esperance de Tunis (Group D; Nashville, Tenn., 6 p.m. ET)

Odds: LAFC (-115), Draw (+240), Esperance de Tunis (+340)

Preview to follow…

Bayern Munich vs. Boca Juniors (Group C; Miami, Fla., 9 p.m. ET)

Odds: Bayern Munich (-550), Draw (+550), Boca Juniors (+950)

Preview to follow…





ESPN

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *