June 15, (THEWILL) – Inter Miami and Al Ahly battled to a goalless draw at Hard Rock Stadium in the opening match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, with both teams creating numerous chances but failing to find the breakthrough. The Egyptian side extended their record to three draws in their last 28 Club World Cup appearances, having previously won 11 and lost 14 matches in the competition. Despite the lack of goals, the encounter provided plenty of entertainment for the Miami crowd, who had hoped to see Lionel Messi make his mark on the tournament.
The first half belonged entirely to Al Ahly, who dominated proceedings and tested the Inter Miami goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari, repeatedly. Wessam Abou Ali broke through the Miami defence in eight minutes but was denied by a fine save from Ustari, who remained alert to thwart Emam Ashour moments later. The Argentine goalkeeper proved to be the difference between the teams, making several crucial stops, including a point-blank range effort from Achraf Dari that kept Javier Mascherano’s side level against the run of play.
Al Ahly’s best opportunity came just before half-time when Zizo won a penalty after going to ground in the box, but Ustari produced a double save to deny Trezeguet from the spot and then from the rebound. The Egyptian side’s dominance was clear throughout the opening 45 minutes, with Inter Miami struggling to cope with their opponents’ rapid counter-attacks. Only a crucial goal-line clearance from Ali prevented Al Ahly from taking the lead before the interval.
Inter Miami improved significantly after Mascherano’s half-time team talk, creating their first major chance when Tadeo Allende found himself in the six-yard box but could not beat the Al Ahly goalkeeper, Mohamed El Shenawy. The second half saw a more balanced contest, though both teams struggled with the heat Inter Miami produced in the final 20 minutes. Messi came closest to breaking the deadlock with an audacious curling strike that forced El Shenawy into a spectacular fingertip save onto the crossbar, with the resulting corner creating panic but ultimately coming to nothing.
Both teams will take positives from their opening Group C performance, though they may have preferred three points given their tough group also contains Porto and Palmeiras. Al Ahly’s attacking threat and Inter Miami’s improved second-half showing suggest both sides have the quality to progress, but they will need to be more clinical in front of goal in their remaining fixtures. The draw sets up an intriguing group stage, with all four teams likely to believe they can reach the knockout rounds of the expanded tournament.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
