Lionel Messi's Inter Miami held to stalemate by Al Ahly in Club World Cup opener

Despite a quiet first half from the hosts - and from Messi himself - Inter mounted a strong second-half response, narrowly missing out on a late winner after Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy tipped Messi's curling effort onto the crossbar in stoppage time.

Al Ahly dominated the opening 45 minutes, creating multiple scoring opportunities but were repeatedly denied by veteran Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. The 39-year-old produced a standout performance, highlighted by a crucial penalty save in the 43rd minute after Trezeguet was brought down in the box by Telasco Segovia.

Trezeguet's low effort to the left was met by a full-stretch Ustari, who kept Inter Miami in the contest heading into the break.

"It was a tough first half. We lost some balls in dangerous areas," Inter manager Javier Mascherano told DAZN. "But in the second half, we improved and created chances. We could have won the game."

Mascherano credited Ustari for keeping Miami alive, as Al Ahly's Emam Ashour and Wessam Abou Ali also spurned close-range chances early on.

Miami emerged from halftime with renewed intensity. Messi began to pull the strings, finding rhythm and nearly scoring twice - first with a well-placed free kick into the side netting, then with a late, dramatic attempt from a short corner that El Shenawy just managed to touch onto the bar.

The Al Ahly keeper was called into action again in the dying moments, rising to parry away Maximiliano Falcon's powerful header from the ensuing corner.

Despite the scoreless result, the match was a showcase of high-quality goalkeeping and competitive balance. Al Ahly boss Jose Riviera acknowledged his side's missed opportunities but remained positive post-match.

"We had enough chances in the first half to change the game," Riviera said. "In the second half, we suffered, but there were positives. The crowd was incredible - it felt like we were in Cairo. Hopefully next time we can reward them with a win."

Inter Miami will now face FC Porto in Atlanta on Thursday, while Al Ahly prepare for a tough matchup against Brazilian champions Palmeiras in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The next round of fixtures could prove decisive in a tightly contested Group A as Messi continues his quest to deliver international silverware at club level once more.

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