Messi ignites Miami's CWC with stunning winner

Lionel Messi scored his archetypal extremity of the expanded Club World Cup connected Thursday with a patented escaped kick, giving Inter Miami a historical 2-1 triumph implicit Portugal's FC Porto.

Messi, 1 of the biggest stars successful the 32-team tournament, was taken down conscionable extracurricular the punishment country by Rodrigo Mora connected a tally down the mediate of the field.

With the assemblage astatine Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium chanting "Messi!" implicit and implicit again, his left-footed blast cleared the Porto partition and ripped the nett successful the apical close country successful the 54th minute.

Inter Miami trailed 1-0 astatine the break, but Telasco Segovia tied it 2 minutes into the 2nd fractional disconnected a transverse into the container from from Marcelo Weigandt. Then it was clip for the 37-year-old Argentine to shine.

Messi's onslaught meant Miami became the archetypal Concacaf squad to bushed a European hostile successful a FIFA planetary nine competition. It was besides Messi's 50th Miami extremity successful each competitions, successful his 61st appearance.

The triumph puts Miami level connected points with Palmeiras astatine the apical of Group A up of the 2 teams facing disconnected successful the last circular of radical matches connected Monday.

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.