Lionel Messi’s magical free-kick earned Inter Miami a comeback 2-1 win over Porto, and with this historic victory, the MLS side is now in a prime position to qualify for the knockout rounds.
Porto took the lead through a successful penalty from Samu Aghehowa, but Miami quickly bounced back with an equaliser from Telasco Segovia. Then, Messi lit up the stadium with a top-quality free-kick to give his team the lead, and they eventually defeated the Portuguese side. With this win, Miami became the first CONCACAF team to defeat a European side in a FIFA international club competition. The goal also marked Messi’s 50th for Miami across all competitions in just 61 appearances.
After the match, while speaking to DAZN, Messi praised his team’s effort and said: “It was a great effort from the whole team. Not only did we defend, but we managed the ball well. We had a sour taste after the game against Al Ahly. This is a very important victory, and we’ll enjoy it.”
“It is being seen that we want to compete; we competed against a good team, and here and there we gave away the first half. The young guys had nerves playing in this competition for the first time,” he added.
REF CAM: best view in the house to witness Messi greatness 📹
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— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025
“He was tired and hurt in the last few minutes” – Mascherano on Messi
Miami head coach Javier Mascherano also spoke to reporters after the game and praised Messi. He said: “[Messi] is the player that leads us in the ways we have to compete. His hunger, his resilience, his will to go on competing—at whatever level that may be. In football terms, what else can I add? He’s the best player ever to play this sport. But his determination to win is always surprising. Today, he was tired and hurt in the last few minutes, but continued to help the team get the result. Having him gives us an advantage.”
With this result, Miami now sit second in Group A with four points. Their next match is against Palmeiras, who are also on four points but lead the group on goal difference. A draw in the upcoming game would be enough to take the MLS side into the knockout rounds.
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