Lionel Messi shined as Inter Miami defeated Porto in the Club World Cup.
Following Inter Miami’s triumph over Porto in the Club World Cup, head coach Javier Mascherano made a surprising remark about Lionel Messi.
Messi led Inter Miami to a stunning 2-1 win over Porto on Thursday.
Samu Aghehowa scored from the penalty spot in the eighth minute, before the MLS team recovered in the second half.
Telasco Segovia leveled just two minutes after the break, before Messi delivered a magical moment.
He curled home a spectacular free-kick in the 54th minute to secure Inter Miami’s first victory of the campaign, and the supporters agreed.
Messi was crowned ‘Man of the Match’ after Mascherano made a shocking revelation following his team’s come-from-behind win.
He claimed the 37-year-old played injured and described his running speed as ‘crazy’ despite having a quadriceps injury.
“Leo Messi played whilst injured, with the pain he had in his quadriceps and how he kept running is crazy,” he wrote on DAZN. “His presence was not guaranteed before the game.”
The Argentine’s performance against Porto is even more impressive given that he was not fully fit.
Inter Miami has now collected four points from their first two games, with Mascherano sure his club can compete against anyone in the globe.
“First of all, I want to congratulate the players for the game they played,” he said. “Aside from the outcome, it was a source of pride to see them play with courage, both with and without the ball. Today we demonstrated that we can compete with any team in the world.”
Messi, who joined Inter Miami in July 2023, has scored 50 goals in 61 appearances for the Florida-based club and shows no signs of slowing down.
Inter Miami, who drew 0-0 with Al Ahly in their first Club World Cup match, will face Palmeiras next Tuesday.
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