Inter Miami are off to the Round of 16 after settling for a draw against the Brazilian giants
Lionel Messi's Inter Miami booked their spot in the knockout round of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Monday night, drawing Brazilian giants Palmeiras 2-2 at Hard Rock Stadium in their Group Stage finale.
The Brazilian outfit finished first in the group, and Miami in second, as the two teams shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller of Group A action.
Miami opened the scoring in the first half through a blistering counterattack. Luis Suarez fed a sprinting Tadeo Allende, who, 1v1 with the goalkeeper, put the ball home to give the a 1-0 lead.
The Uruguayan forward then doubled Miami's lead himself, 20 minutes into the second half, scoring a stupendous effort to give them a 2-0 lead and what felt like a sure victory. However, the Serie A side didn't give up, and their grit and effort paid off as they secured two late goals to manage a point on the night. Midfielder Paulinho found the back of the net in the 80th minute, and 24-year-old Mauricio arrived off the bench to draw them level with two minutes to spare in regulation to make it 2-2.
Palmeiras, with momentum behind them, nearly scored a winner with the final kick of the game, but Paulinho's attempt at a brace was denied by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano bemoaned his club's missed opportunity to seal three points and a group stage top seed after going up 2-0. Still, he's proud of his team for advancing to the knockout stages after being considered an underdog in the tournament.
“Unfortunately, we had the game in our hands and it slipped away," he told DAZN after the match. "We couldn’t maintain the intensity until the final whistle against a team with real quality and depth. Overall, the squad showed they belong here. Before the tournament, we were practically the underdogs, but with discipline, fight – and above all, football – we overcame obstacles, grew as a team, and now we’re in the quarterfinals.”
With the result, both teams confirmed their spot in the Round of 16 in the tournament. Messi and will take on his former club and current reigning champions of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, while Palmeiras will meet Brazilian rivals Botafogo in Philadelphia.
“This level of competition isn’t something we regularly encounter in our domestic league. We’ve shown we have no complexes. It’s been a huge learning experience, and we have rightfully earned the privilege to play the European champions," Mascherano said. "We’ll strive to match them, but at the end of the day, it’s still 11 against 11.”
GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Hard Rock Stadium.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowAFPGoalkeeper & Defense
Oscar Ustari (6/10):
Nothing he could do about either goal, but came up with a few big stops otherwise.
Marcelo Weigandt (5/10):
Not his best performance. Struggled going forward, and in 1v1 moments, often found himself under pressure because he took too long on the ball.
Tomas Aviles (6/10):
Handed a surprising start, the Argentine defender held his own throughout the match for the most part. A promising showing.
Maxi Falcon (6/10):
So strong and composed in intense moments. Aggressive off the ball, he led the back line all night until the final 10 minutes, when their entire defense capitulated.
Noah Allen (7/10):
Filled in for Jordi Alba admirably. Struggled to maintain Estevao at times, but worked hard and stuck at it.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield
Tadeo Allende (8/10):
Electric on the right flank. Took his goal brilliantly and timed his runs throughout the evening to near perfection.
Federico Redondo (6/10):
Largely ineffective outside of completing small, short passes in the center of the park. Didn't put a foot wrong, but didn't bring the forward progression Mascherano likely hoped for.
Sergio Busquets (6/10):
Solid centrally, but Palmeiras' quick press made for a few uncomfortable moments. Overall, consistent and reliable, but not at his best, either.
Telasco Segovia (7/10):
Lively in moments, but disappeared for chunks of the game, struggling to play off of Suarez in the attack. Some of his biggest moments, surprisingly, came defensively, as he helped keep the electric Estevao quiet.
AFPAttack
Lionel Messi (6/10):
Sloppy yellow on the verge of halftime, that was lucky not to go to VAR. A strangely ineffective performance from the Argentine.
Luis Suarez (8/10):
Recorded an assist on Allende's opener, intentional or not, and then followed it up in the second half with a stellar goal.
Getty Images SportSubs & Manager
Fafa Picault (N/A):
Brought in to close out the contest.
Benjamin Cremaschi (N/A):
Brought on with 15 minutes to spare, helped the midfield lock in to earn the point.
Jordi Alba (6/10):
Solid defensive performance as he helped close out the match.
Baltasar Rodriguez (N/A):
Introduced with 13 minutes to spare.
Javier Mascherano (7/10):
Through to the knockout rounds, and that's all that matters. Palmeiras were brilliant all evening, and he executed a game plan that secured them a draw. A surge of late pressure tested their defense, but for 80 minutes, the Argentine manager played his cards brilliantly.