WATCH: Lionel Messi Turns Back The Clock With Scintillating Freekick At FIFA Club World Cup

Last Updated:June 20, 2025, 12:05 IST

Lionel Messi's freekick secured Inter Miami's 2-1 win over Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup, marking the first competitive victory for an MLS team over European opposition.

Lionel Messi for Inter Miami (AP)

Class is permanent and timeless. And Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi proved it yet again, as the Argentine curled in a peach of a freekick to score the winner for Inter Miami in their 2-1 upset of Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday.

The World Cup-winning Argentine, who has made scoring freekicks his bread and butter, wound the clock back to produce yet another magical moment and seal the unexpected win for the MLS team, significantly boosting their chances of advancing from Group A.

Messi’s goal, which turned out to be the difference maker, marked the first competitive victory for an MLS side over European opposition, following Chelsea’s win over Los Angeles FC earlier in the week.

“It’s a huge joy, the whole team made a big effort, we worked really well," Messi told DAZN. “It’s a really important win for us and we have to enjoy it. You can see that we want to compete, and today we competed against a really good European team. We knew that today we were weaker, but we had our strengths."

Inter Miami and Palmeiras each have four points, following the Brazilian side’s 2-0 win over Al Ahly earlier. Al Ahly and Porto both have one point.

“(Messi) is a leader, he’s the greatest player in the world," Inter Miami forward Fafa Picault told DAZN.

“I had a feeling (the free-kick) was going in. That was a great goal, a great show of leadership and coming in a clutch moment for us."

Following Messi’s tiebreaker, Inter Miami fought hard during stoppage time to keep Porto at bay, as Mascherano’s players threw themselves in front of shots in a manner reminiscent of the former Argentine defensive midfielder, ultimately securing their much-desired victory.

“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," Mascherano told reporters.

“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."

Siddarth Sriram

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...Read More

After training in the field of broadcast media, Siddarth, as a sub-editor for News18 Sports, currently dabbles in putting together stories, from across a plethora of sports, onto a digital canvas. His long-term...

Read More

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