Messi, Inter Miami face FC Porto in Atlanta in critical Club World Cup Group A clash
Determined to prove they can compete with a historically strong European club and get closer to the Club World Cup knockout rounds, Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates headed to Atlanta for what should be a telling match against FC Porto at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thursday afternoon.
Miami and the 30-time Portuguese champion Dragons are tied on points with Al Ahly and Palmeiras in Group A after earning one point with scoreless draws in their opening matches.
Both teams relied on heroics from their goalkeepers to salvage a tie. Miami’s 38-year-old Argentine keeper Oscar Ustari won Man of the Match after making eight saves, including a double save on a Trezeguet penalty kick just before halftime.
Porto’s Claudio Ramos, starting in place of injured captain Diogo Costa, also had a brilliant performance, denying Brazil’s Palmeiras time and time again, including a double save in first-half stoppage time.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano and his players expect a stiffer test against Porto than they got against Al Ahly and are hungry to score their first goal of the tournament. Miami should get a boost as Jordi Alba is back after missing three weeks with a hamstring injury, but Mascherano did not say whether he would start or come off the bench.
Yannick Bright, David Ruiz, and Gonzalo Lujan remain out with injuries and have not been medically cleared. There was media speculation that Messi was not 100 percent after he was seen touching the back of his left thigh while speaking to Mascherano during training Wednesday morning, but the coach put those concerns to rest.
Asked whether Messi perhaps had a mosquito bite or a slight injury, Mascherano smiled and replied: “He also touched his nose, he had a little pimple. On the trip from Miami to Atlanta I saw that there were some reports about that, but no, Leo is fine. He did the full training. In fact, we were talking when I saw the cameras were focusing on his leg, but no, nothing happened. He’s fine and obviously will play [Thursday].”
Mascherano said results of the Club World Cup so far prove that, with a few exceptions, most of the games have been fairly even, which gives hope and motivation to non-European clubs.
“There were expectations that there would be a big difference between the European teams and South American teams and the others, and you look at [Mexican club] Monterrey, which played a great game against Inter Milan, the European runner-up,” Mascherano said.
“That shows teams like ours, which are not used to playing at this level and in big championships, that football is 11 v 11 and a ball. When you have a dream, desire and confidence, you can compete against the highest-level competition.”
He added that it’s too early to draw conclusions about how the leagues stack up, pointing out that many European teams were on holiday before this tournament, but the results so far demonstrate that many lesser-known players can compete on the world stage.
Defender Ian Fray, the 22-year-old from Coconut Creek, who rose from Inter Miami’s youth academy, said he is highly motivated not only for his team to win but to show that he can go toe-to-toe with the best. He said heading into the tournament, Messi urged teammates to be confident and not be scared.
“These are the biggest games of my career so far, so watching the best teams around the world playing, Real Madrid played [Wednesday], so it’s a great opportunity and we’re really excited,” Fray said. “Everyone has passion and pride and wants to show what their league’s made of.”
Porto also comes in with something to prove after a disappointing season in league play, finishing Primeira Liga in third place for the second year in a row. The Dragons finished nine points behind second-place Benfica and 11 points behind champion Sporting.
The last time they finished below the top two in back-to-back seasons was in 1976 and 1977.
Porto, a historic club that was founded in 1893 and has never been relegated, was eliminated by Roma in the first knockout round of the Europa League this year and lost in the Round of 32 of the Taca de Portugal (Portugal’s FA Cup) against Moreirense and the semi-finals of the Taca da Liga (League Cup).
The team is coached by Martin Anselmi, a 39-year-old native of Argentina who was hired in January after one season with Mexican club Cruz Azul, where he led that team to a championship final and record for points.
Anselmi previously coached in Ecuador and Chile. Like so many successful Argentine players and coaches, he hails from Messi’s hometown of Rosario.
Among Porto’s top players is Samu Aghehowa, a 6-4 Spaniard who scored 25 goals in 42 games and is a dangerous threat on long passes and set pieces, which presents a challenge for a Miami team that lacks height and speed. At 20 years old, Aghehowa has already won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics and was called up to Spain’s national team.
Other Porto players to watch include forward Pepe, midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, and midfielder Gabri Veiga, who joined the team in January from Al Ahly.
Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets is quite familiar with the Portuguese teams, having played his whole career in Spain. Asked what type to game to expect from Porto, he said: “They usually want to control the ball. They have a very distinct style the new coach has instilled in them, which he also did at Cruz Azul. They have very good players, and signed some reinforcements. We know it will be very difficult. They have big players who battle every year to win their league title. So, we will try to be as solid as we can, remain compact, take advantage of our chances, and keep a clean sheet.”
Porto is the most decorated Portuguese team in international competitions, with seven trophies. They won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League in 1987 and 2004, the UEFA Cup/Europa League in 2003 and 2011, the UEFA Super Cup in 1987, and the Intercontinental Cup in 1987 and 2004.
Although Porto is favored over Miami, Anselmi insists his team expects a tough game on Thursday (3 p.m., TNT, DAZN.com), saying “there are no easy games” in this tournament.
He added that he sees an international competition like the Club World Cup is a way to improve as a coach: “There are so many different cultures, different coaches, different ideas of how to play, so without a doubt it makes us better as coaches because we have to step out of what we’re used to every week and adjust.”
Messi Leads MLS Jersey Sales
It should come as no surprise that for the third season in a row, Messi tops the list of best-selling Adidas MLS jerseys. Inter Miami had four players in the Top 25: Messi (No. 1), Luis Suárez (No. 2), Sergio Busquets (No. 16), and Benjamin Cremaschi (No. 23).
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 1:35 PM.