Inter Miami suffered a draw with a taste of defeat in their Club World Cup debut, despite the multiple attempts of a Messi who was outstanding in the second half of the match. Al Ahly goalkeeper El Shenawy prevented his goal from falling with brilliant saves, rescuing an important point for the Egyptian team.
Messi came close to scoring on several occasions, being one of the most outstanding players of the match, showing an enormous state of form at 38 years of age. Even in added time, the Argentine star was about to score a goal that would have meant not only the first goal of the tournament, but very probably, one of the best at the end of the tournament. A performance that even seems to dispel any doubt about Messi‘s continuity in professional soccer
Where will Messi play next season?
With his future at Inter Miami still unconfirmed for next year, uncertainty over his career remains a mystery ahead of next summer.
However, legendary footballer Christian Vieri shared a conversation he had with Messi before the match that could shed some light on the speculation surrounding the Argentine star’s future.
The Italian icon mentioned that he had traveled to Miami to see Messi play and expressed his desire to see him next year wearing the Argentina shirt at the FIFA World Cup. Messi’s response thrilled both the Italian and soccer fans around the world:
“Before the match started, I told Messi that next year I would go to see him play with Argentina in the World Cup. He replied: ‘Okay, come, I want to see you in the matches’. I replied: ‘I will go with all my family, I want to be a month and follow you in the matches’.”, shared Vieri.Vieri interprets this conversation as meaning that Messi will take part in the World Cup next year, despite the fact that he will soon be 38 years old and will reach 39 in 2026.
How is Inter Miami doing?
After the 0-0 draw against Al Ahly, Messi and his team will face FC Porto on Thursday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a match where the MLS side will be looking to salvage at least a draw to have a chance of qualifying for the next round
Inter Miami will then return to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 23, where they will play against Palmeiras in their final group stage match in Group A
With a point secured after the first match, Inter Miami will be keeping a close eye on the Porto vs Palmeiras match in the 2025 Club World Cup
Read the full article here