Lionel Messi was in sensational form, as he led Inter Miami to their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup victory, sealing a 2-1 win against Porto. It was also the first-ever win in a competitive match for a MLS team against a side from Europe. Miami were trailing 0-1 at half-time, and then found the equaliser through Telasco Segovia two mintues into the second-half after a cross into the box from Marcelo Weigandt.
Then Messi made it 2-1 in the 68th-minute, in what as an instant response from the Herons. Miami were awarded a free-kick, on the edge of the Porto box and the Argentine curled it into the top-right corner for a trademark Messi free-kick.
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Here is the full video of Messi’s goal:
Speaking after the match, Miami head coach Javier Mascherano hailed Messi’s impact in the match. He told reporters, “Beyond his goal... he's a player who shows us how to compete, his hunger, his desire to continue competing at whatever level it is.”
{{/usCountry}}Speaking after the match, Miami head coach Javier Mascherano hailed Messi’s impact in the match. He told reporters, “Beyond his goal... he's a player who shows us how to compete, his hunger, his desire to continue competing at whatever level it is.”
{{/usCountry}}“In a footballing sense, what else is there to say? He's the best player that has played this sport in its history, but what is surprising is his will to win.
“Today, even in the last minutes, tired, with a knock, he kept helping the team in any way he could, in attack, in defence, to get the result…
“We know having him gives us an advantage, but above all, through his contagious spirit, the winning spirit that he has,” he added.
Meanwhile, Messi said, “It's a great joy. A lot of effort went into it, and we worked very well. I'm very happy. We were left with a bitter taste after the first match. We thought we could have won it.”
“(In the free kick) I took advantage of the space left by the goalkeeper, who was standing still and not covering his post. I tried to score there.
“The other day (there were) nerves from a lot of young guys playing in such a significant competition. We've changed. We're going to compete, try to play our game. Today we were the inferior team, but we have our weapons. Next up is Palmeiras, which is a big club in the world. It's going to be another very difficult game,” he added.