Football | Al Ahly 0 - 0 Inter Miami

The Club World Cup is underway

Messi made his presence felt as the tournament begun in Miami

Author | Jamie P

Lionel Messi took centre stage as the revamped Club World Cup got underway in the United States, with Inter Miami and Al Ahly playing out an entertaining goalless draw in the tournament’s opening match.

The hosts, backed by a vocal home crowd and led by the Argentine icon, relied heavily on their goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, who was named man of the match after producing a string of crucial saves, including a penalty stop, to deny the Egyptian champions.

READ MORE | Club World Cup Preview

Messi, predictably the focal point, came closest to breaking the deadlock with a trademark free-kick in the second half and almost delivered a dramatic winner in the dying moments. His audacious long-range effort was acrobatically tipped onto the crossbar by Mohamed El Shenawy, who also had a fine evening between the posts.

While the much-criticised tournament began without a goal, there was at least a sense of spectacle in Miami, where football finally took centre stage, at least for a moment.

Messi lifts the occasion, even without scoring

For many in the crowd, it was all about one man. Fans in pink-and-black ‘Messi 10’ shirts turned out in large numbers, chanting his name with the same fervour seen during Argentina’s World Cup triumph in Qatar three years ago.

The former Barcelona star didn’t disappoint, providing glimpses of his enduring quality. He saw one bending shot palmed away by El Shenawy, and drew gasps with a curling free-kick that hit the side netting and briefly fooled half the stadium into thinking it had gone in.

It wasn’t quite vintage Messi, but it was a reminder of why the world continues to watch.