Lionel Messi produced a moment of brilliance to fire Inter Miami past FC Porto in a pulsating Club World Cup showdown, netting a stunning 54th-minute free-kick that sealed a 2-1 comeback victory for the MLS side in front of 31,783 fans in the United States.
The match, packed with drama, intensity, and flair, saw Porto drew first blood when Samu coolly converted an eighth-minute penalty, despite Oscar Ustari getting a hand to the ball. VAR had intervened moments earlier to award the spot-kick after Joao Mario was brought down in the box.
Inter Miami, however, roared back into contention in the second half. Telasco Segovia equalised in the 47th minute with a composed finish into the top right corner after latching onto a superb through ball. That set the stage for the legend himself.
Just seven minutes later, Messi lined up a free-kick on the edge of the box. With trademark finesse, he curled the ball over the wall and into the top corner beyond the despairing Claudio Ramos, sending the crowd into raptures.
Despite multiple late pushes from Porto, including a close-range miss from William Gomes and a heroic save by Ustari in stoppage time, Inter Miami held firm.
The match also saw veteran stars Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets put in solid shifts, while Jordi Alba contributed with key plays, including a late short corner to kill time in the dying minutes.
