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Lionel Messi opened his account at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup by scoring a magnificent free kick for Inter Miami against Porto at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday, June 19. The diminutive Argentine found the back of the net in the 54th minute to give his side a 2-1 lead in Atlanta.
It wasn’t the start Inter Miami would have wanted, as they found themselves trailing 1-0 just eight minutes into proceedings. Noah Allen was adjudged to have committed a foul on Joao Mario after a VAR review, and Samu Aghehowa dispatched the resulting spot kick as his effort proved too hot for Herons goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to keep out.
Inter Miami rallied in response, but they were unable to breach Porto's defense before the halftime whistle. However, their persistence paid off shortly after the restart. In the 47th minute, Telasco Segovia restored parity for the Herons with a clinical first-time finish at the end of a fluid attacking move.
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Momentum quickly shifted in Miami's favor. Following a foul on Tadeo Allende at the edge of the box, the Herons were awarded a free kick. Lionel Messi stepped up and curled the stationary ball into the top right corner, scoring his 50th goal for Inter Miami in his 61st appearance for the club. The free kick goal was the 68th of Messi's career for both club and country.
The goal proved decisive for the Herons as they held on to their lead to secure their first-ever victory in the competition. The result moves them to the second position in their group standings, level on points with group leaders Palmeiras. The Herons will face the Brazilian side in their final group-stage fixture.
How Lionel Messi fared for Inter Miami in the Club World Cup match against Porto
Lionel Messi emerged as Inter Miami’s knight in shining armor as they moved to within touching distance of reaching the knockout stages of FIFA’s revamped club competition after a comeback 2-1 win in Atlanta.
During his 90 minutes on the pitch, Messi had 70 touches, won six of nine duels, made four touches in the opposition box, created two chances, completed two of three attempted take-ons, and registered two shots - one of which was on target. Simply put, Lionel Messi was outstanding on the night. He was named Man of the Match and was also Inter Miami’s highest-rated player with a match rating of 8.3, as per Sofascore.
The goal Messi scored was not only pivotal on the night but also historic. It made him the first player in football history to reach 1,250 goal contributions (866 goals and 384 assists).
