Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly Battle to Scoreless Draw in Club World Cup Opener

Football - Club World Cup - Group A - Al Ahly v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 14, 2025 Al Ahly's Mohamed El-Shenawy makes a save. (Reuters)
Football - Club World Cup - Group A - Al Ahly v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 14, 2025 Al Ahly's Mohamed El-Shenawy makes a save. (Reuters)
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Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly Battle to Scoreless Draw in Club World Cup Opener

Football - Club World Cup - Group A - Al Ahly v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 14, 2025 Al Ahly's Mohamed El-Shenawy makes a save. (Reuters)
Football - Club World Cup - Group A - Al Ahly v Inter Miami CF - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. - June 14, 2025 Al Ahly's Mohamed El-Shenawy makes a save. (Reuters)

Lionel Messi was denied on a long shot in extra time and Inter Miami and Egypt's Al Ahly settled for a scoreless draw in the opening game of the Club World Cup on Saturday night.

Argentina's eight-time Ballon d’Or winner kicked a long, curling shot from the right side that was tipped by diving goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy and brushed off the crossbar in the 96th minute front of a crowd of more than 60,000 at Hard Rock Stadium. Messi also shaved the post with a free kick in the 60th minute in the second half.

Miami had its own good fortune, surviving a first half onslaught by 12-time African champion Al Ahly, with goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saving a penalty from Trezeguet just before the break.

Miami had to rely on veteran Argentine goalkeeper Ustari to keep the game level in the first half, with the 38-year-old pulling off a number of saves as Al Ahly dominated the chances. He produced a crucial double save just before halftime, blocking Trezeguet's 43rd-minute penalty and then getting up quickly to deny the forward again on the rebound.

A draw leaves both teams with a battle to advance from Group A with tougher tests likely to come against Brazilian giant Palmeiras and Porto from Portugal. The top two advance to the round of 16.

Miami can be encouraged by its performance in the second half after being dominated in the first half. Inter Miami had the better chances after the break, with Messi's free kick and curling long shot both hitting the woodwork.

“It was a good party for football. It’s a new competition and the chance to play teams we don’t play normally in our league, so it can be very good for us. You can prove what we can do,” said Javier Mascherano, Inter Miami coach.

“I’m disappointed with the result. We could have taken all three points. We respect Inter Miami and their big-name players, but we could’ve finished the game in the first half by scoring three or four goals,” said Wessam Abou Ali, Ah Ahly forward.



Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
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Wimbledon Expansion Plan Set to Proceed after High Court Ruling

FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
FILED - 29 June 2022, United Kingdom, London: Raindrops and the tournament logo can be seen on an umbrella during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Photo: Frank Molter/dpa

Wimbledon's controversial expansion plan is set to go ahead after a legal challenge against the decision to approve the proposal was dismissed by a High Court judge on Monday.

The 'Save Wimbledon Park' campaign group took action against the Greater London Authority's decision last year to grant a planning permission that would almost triple the size of the site for the grass-court Grand Slam.

The proposals would see the construction of 38 new tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which would allow it to host All England Club qualifiers on site instead of across south London at Roehampton.

The campaign group's barristers told the High Court earlier this month that the decision to approve the plans was "irrational" and should be quashed, as Wimbledon Park was covered by restrictions on how it could be used.

But Wimbledon chiefs defended the challenge, with the court told that the decision was a "planning judgement properly exercised" and that the restrictions were not "material".

In a ruling on Monday, Justice Saini dismissed the challenge, AFP reported.

"In short, the defendant's decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgement rationally exercised and having regard to appropriate and relevant factors," he said.

Planning permission for the scheme was initially granted by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals "would facilitate very significant benefits" which "clearly outweigh the harm".

Following Monday's High Court ruling, the campaign group said it had been "advised that it should" seek to challenge the decision.

"SWP is not taking this step lightly but believes that the GLA did make a significant legal error in the way it dealt with the special legal status of the park," a statement said.

The latest edition of Wimbledon concluded on July 13, with Jannik Sinner winning the men's title and Iga Swiatek lifting the women's trophy.