Messi’s Miami Faces Porto In Club World Cup

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami seek first win against two-time Champions League winners Porto at FIFA Club World Cup.

Who: Inter Miami vs Porto
What: FIFA Club World Cup
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
When: Thursday, June 19 – 15:00 EDT local time | 12:00 PST | 19:00 GMT | 21:00 CEST

How to follow our coverage: We’ll have all the build-up from 11pm (16:00 GMT) on Al Jazeera Sport.

Inter Miami and Porto both play their second match of the FIFA Club World Cup in Florida on Thursday, in what is effectively a must-not-lose match for the pair.

Both took a point from their opening match in Group A, but a defeat in the second round of matches would heap pressure on the losing side’s final fixture in the group.

Al Jazeera Sport takes a look at a game that could be a huge step forward for Inter Miami, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, or two-time Champions League winners, Porto.

What happened in Inter Miami and Porto’s Club World Cup opening games?
Inter Miami, one of the host nation’s representatives, opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw at their home stadium against Al Ahly on Saturday.

The Egyptian giants, the most successful club in world football, dominated the first half but held on in the second as Messi and Co found their footing at the Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami had goalkeeper Oscar Ustari to thank for saving a penalty from Al Ahly forward Trezeguet just before half-time.

Porto were pushed all the way by Brazilian club Palmeiras as they too returned a 0-0 draw in the match played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford – the New Jersey venue that will host both the Club World Cup and FIFA 2026 World Cup finals.

Palmeiras had 17 shots with five on target, compared to Porto’s 11, of which the keeper was only tested on five occasions.

How did Inter Miami qualify for the Club World Cup?
Miami’s qualification was not without controversy. The Floridian club recorded the most points in Major League Soccer’s (MLS) regular season, handing them a place at the Club World Cup instead of LA Galaxy, who won the MLS Cup, which is regarded as the highest prize in the MLS.

FIFA announced Miami’s addition to the Club World Cup in October after they secured the MLS record with a 6-2 win over New England Revolution to reach 74 points – one better than the previous record set by New England in 2021.

How does Porto qualify for the Club World Cup?
Porto qualified for the Club World Cup via the UEFA ranking pathway following their strong Champions League performances between 2021 and 2024.

The 30-time Portuguese league champions won the European Cup in 1987, as it was then named, and the Champions League in 2004.

The Benfica-based club finished 11 points off champions Sporting Lisbon in this season’s Portuguese domestic league.

What is Porto’s take on Inter Miami?
“I watched the match between Miami and Al Ahly. I saw that they are two very tough opponents with a lot of intensity,” Porto’s Argentinean defender, Alan Varela, said.

Commenting on his fellow countryman, Messi, the 23-year-old added: “Inter have the best player in the world, so we’re going to try to play and fight until the end, just like we did [against Palmeiras] and just like the club demands.

“The group is wide open, there is a long way to go. There are still two matches, so we’re going to try to get the victory in each.”

What is David Beckham’s role at Inter Miami?
Former England international Beckham is a co-owner of Miami. The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder had a clause in his Major League Soccer contract, during his spell as a player with LA Galaxy, that offered him the chance to buy a future MLS franchise. Beckham took up the opportunity to buy a $25m stake in the franchise, which would become Inter Miami, in 2014.

The Miami-based franchise eventually debuted in 2020 and is also co-owned by American business magnates, Jorge and Jose Mas, although Beckham is very much the figurehead of the club.

Head-to-head
This is the first meeting between the MLS franchise and the Portuguese giants.

Inter Miami team news
Inter Miami have no news injuries to report ahead of the match against Porto, and are expected to name the same starting lineup as they did in the first fixture.

Porto team news
Porto’s stand-in goalkeeper, Claudio Ramos, will start in between the sticks once again following his key performance that frustrated Palmeiras in their opening match.

Ramos is currently deputising for Porto’s injured captain, Diogo Costa, as the Portuguese side are also expected to name an unchanged side.

Inter Miami and Porto potential starting lineups
Inter Miami: Ustari, Fray, Aviles, Falcon, Allen, Allende, Redondo, Busquets; Segovia, Messi, Suarez

Porto: Ramos, Fernandes, Pedro, Marcano, Joao Mario, Varela, Veiga, Moura, Vieira, Mora, Samu

Aljazeera.com