FIFA Club World Cup: Inter held by Mexico’s Monterrey; South Africa's Mamelodi make history in near-empty stadium

NEW DELHI: The opening round of the expanded Club World Cup delivered drama, disappointment, and historic milestones across three key matches. Inter Milan, playing their first match since their Champions League final loss, were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Monterrey at the Rose Bowl in California.

Veteran defender Sergio Ramos, making his debut for Monterrey, opened the scoring with a towering header, capitalising on the Mexican side’s first corner. Despite dominating possession (62%), Inter equalised only once through Lautaro Martínez, who finished off a slick set-piece move in the 42nd minute. Martínez had a second goal ruled out for offside, while Inter’s new manager Cristian Chivu fielded a largely rotated squad from the Champions League final lineup.

Inter struggled to find rhythm and still appear to be recovering from their recent 5-0 loss to PSG.In Group F, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa earned a landmark 1-0 win over Ulsan HD of South Korea. Iqraam Rayners scored the only goal, calmly slotting home after a clever setup from Lucas Ribeiro. Rayners had two goals disallowed (one for handball, one offside), but his decisive strike gave Sundowns their first-ever win in any Club World Cup edition.

Despite a delayed kickoff due to a weather warning and sparse attendance, Sundowns impressed with control and flair, while Ulsan missed key chances. Coach Miguel Cardoso praised his team’s effort in a hard-fought match.Elsewhere, River Plate began their Group E campaign with a confident 3-1 win over Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds. Facundo Colidio, Sebastian Driussi, and Maximiliano Meza scored for the Argentine giants, while Yusuke Matsuo pulled one back via penalty. Urawa's defensive errors proved costly, particularly a back-pass blunder that gifted River their second goal. Despite a smaller crowd, the atmosphere was lively, with River fans celebrating their team’s strong start. All six South American teams remain unbeaten in the tournament so far.