The MLS side Inter Miami opened the FIFA Club World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Al Ahly on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in the USA.
Lionel Messi, with just four days of rest after playing the World Cup qualifiers against Colombia, started the match for Inter Miami. Despite their brilliant effort in the first half, Ahly came close to scoring the first goal from the spot but was duly saved by goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
Despite the speculation of FIFA reducing the tickets from 300 euros to 48 euros due to the low demand of the tickets, over 60,000 spectators came to watch the first game of the competition.
Tactical Analysis Of The Game
Al Ahly had a fantastic game plan of attacking despite the domination of possession by the MLS side. In the first half, Ahly had 8 shots (6 on target and 2 off target) as against 3 shots from Inter Miami.
Al Ahly were off the hook in the first half but wasted many opportunities to take the lead. In the second half of the game, Inter Miami came on strong to dominate the game. They completed 8 shots (5 on target & 3 off target), 52 possessions, and 8 vibrant corner kicks.
Inter Miami could have scored 3 goals in the second half if they had taken all their chances in the last 15 minutes.
| Category | Inter Miami | Al Ahly |
|---|---|---|
| Ball Possession | 58% | 42% |
| Total Shots | 11 | 11 |
| Shots on Target | 6 | 8 |
| Corner Kicks | 10 | 4 |
| Saves by Goalkeeper | 8 (Ustari) | 4 (El Shenawy) |
| Fouls Committed | 10 | 11 |
| Yellow Cards | 4 | 1 |
| Penalty Kicks Faced | 1 (Saved by Ustari) | 0 |
Player Performances
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez had a great game, but goalkeeper Oscar Ustari stole the show. With his remarkable reflexes, Ustari made 8 crucial saves throughout the game. In an open play, he made 4 crucial saves that kept Inter Miami in the game.
The Argentine goalkeeper’s goalkeeping brilliance gave Inter Miami a point with his crucial penalty save from Trezeguet in the 43rd minute.
🚨🇦🇷 38-year-old Oscar Ustari, big penalty save for Inter Miami. What a game he is having! 🧤 pic.twitter.com/KESLsGxmSx
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 15, 2025
Ustari has become the talk of the show with his outstanding performance in the Group A open match, which is also the FIFA Club World Cup’s first match.
Al Ahly deserved to win this game even in the first half. They were just wasteful in the attack
Ustari stole the whole show