Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw by Al Ahly in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium, as both clubs earned a point to kick off Group A play.
The first half saw the Egyptian side take control early, showing more aggression and threatening to open the scoring. Al Ahly came closest when Mahmoud Trezeguet stepped up to take a penalty, only to be denied by Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who kept the match level with a crucial save.
The second half painted a different picture, with Inter Miami pressing forward and creating more chances. However, Al Ahly’s veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawi delivered a standout performance, turning away every effort, including a dangerous header off a Lionel Messi cross.
With the draw, both clubs sit on one point in Group A. Up next, Inter Miami will face Porto on Thursday, June 19, while Al Ahly will take on Palmeiras the same day.
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Al Ahly and Inter Miami tied goalless at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 opening match and you lived every moment of this game here.
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END OF THE GAME! (0-0)
The game between Al Ahly and Inter Miami ended in a goalless draw.
96'- El Shenawi again! (0-0)
After a strong header from Falcon, El Shenawi comes up big once again to keep Al Ahly level!
95'- What a save by El Shenawi! (0-0)
After a powerful long-range strike from Messi, El Shenawi tipped the ball over for a corner!
86'- Yellow card for Inter Miami (0-0)
Sergio Busquets receives a yellow card.
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84'- Inter Miami miss a late chance! (0-0)
After a brilliant cross from Lionel Messi, Picault’s header was denied by Al Ahly’s goalkeeper, who pushed the ball out for a corner.
First, Ustari made a brilliant save on a free kick from Wessam Abou Ali, tipping it out for a corner. Moments later, he came up big again, denying a close-range header that nearly gave the Al Ahly the opening goal.
30'- Another yellow card for Inter Miamia (0-0)
Federico Redondo receives the second yellow card of Inter Miami.
24'- First yellow card of the game (0-0)
Tomas Aviles of Inter Miami receives the first yellow card of the game.
25' First yellow card of the match goes to Tomas Aviles
Inter Miami’s starting XI will be: Oscar Ustari; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Tomas Aviles, Noah Allen; Telasco Segovia, Federico Redondo, Sergio Busquets, Tadeo Allende; Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez.
Al Ahly from Egypt may not be a household name globally, but they stand as one of the most decorated clubs in African soccer history. The Cairo-based giants have secured a record 45 Egyptian Premier League titles and 39 Egypt Cup trophies, underlining their domestic dominance.
Their success extends well beyond national borders. Internationally, Al Ahly have claimed 12 CAF Champions League crowns, four African Cup Winners’ Cups, one CAF Confederation Cup, and eight CAF Super Cups—making them a perennial powerhouse on the continent.
Iranian-born Australian referee AlirezaFaghani has been appointed to take charge of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup opener between Al Ahly and Inter Miami.
Faghani brings extensive international experience to the pitch. He previously officiated Lionel Messi during Argentina’s 4-3 loss to France in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and also refereed an Al Ahly fixture against Pachuca in the Intercontinental Cup.
The full officiating team for today's game:
Referee: Alireza Faghani (AUS)
Assistant Referee 1: Anton Shchetinin (AUS)
Assistant Referee 2: AshleyWarwickBeecham (AUS)
Fourth Official: Szymon Marciniak (POL)
VAR: CarlosdelCerroGrande (ESP)
Assistant VAR (AVAR): AlejandroJosé Hernández (ESP)
Kick off time and how to watch
The clash between Al Ahly and Inter Miami for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will kick off at 8:00 PM (ET).
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist fluent in English and Spanish who specializes in soccer, the NBA, and tennis. He joined World Soccer Talk in 2026, where he covers breaking news, produces original stories, and provides live coverage of major soccer events for a U.S. audience. Before joining World Soccer Talk, Gianni worked at Bolavip US, where he covered a wide range of sports and contributed original reporting and real-time coverage of high-profile events. He began his professional journalism career in 2020 at Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a sports writer. Known for his ability to react quickly to breaking news and perform under pressure, Gianni has become a valuable member of the editorial team.
