
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.
— FIFACWC (@FIFACWC)
by Taboola
by Taboola
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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.
— FIFACWC (@FIFACWC)
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.
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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.

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