"It feels like someone who has touched the fingertips of God. I can't believe it. This is Messi."
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on the 20th (Korea time), "It was still Lionel Messi. A goal made by the hand of God."
Inter Miami (USA) registered its first win of the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Porto (Portugal) in the Group A group stage of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on the 20th.
Having drawn 0-0 against Al Ahly (Egypt) in the first match, Miami secured 4 points with this victory, forming a tie at the top of the group with Palmeiras from Brazil. In contrast, Porto remains in third place with 1 draw and 1 loss (1 point), adding pressure on their chances of advancing to the knockout stage.
The opening goal was Porto's. In the 8th minute of the first half, Mário drew a foul from Alan inside the box, and the penalty kick awarded after a VAR review was successfully converted by Samu Aguero.
Finishing the first half 0-1, Miami changed the pace right at the start of the second half. In the 2nd minute of the second half, Segovia finished off a cross from Weigandt with a right-footed shot, scoring the equalizer. Seven minutes later, Messi flipped the match around himself. He converted a free kick earned just outside the box with a fantastic left-footed kick that split the top of the goal.
Porto tried to counterattack with substitutes Gomes and Borges, but their finishing was disappointing. Aguero's header and shot both missed the goal post, and no equalizing goal was scored during the additional 7 minutes.
BBC praised, "In Miami's historic 2-1 comeback victory in the Club World Cup, Messi once again showcased his unique left-footed magic. Preparing a free kick from 20 yards away, it felt almost destined that the net would shake at that moment."
The media noted, "Messi remained unchanged once again. The free kick he scored against FC Porto evoked memories of his time at Barcelona. As the kicker, he created a high-difficulty trajectory, clearing the wall while aiming at the goalkeeper, leaving Claudio Ramos, the goalkeeper, helpless. This marks Messi's 68th career free kick goal. In the ranking of most free kick goals in football history, he is only three goals behind Juninho Pernambucano (77 goals) and Pelé (70 goals), who played for Lyon."
According to reports, former Portugal defender José Fonte praised him in an interview with DAZN, saying, "It feels like someone who has touched the fingertips of God. I can't believe it. This is Messi," and former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given added, "It’s almost like a penalty kick. So precise. He is really a genius. There are not enough words to express it."
Messi's decisive goal was the comeback winning goal following Segovia's equalizer. With this victory, Miami is set to face Palmeiras in the final match for the group top spot, and even a draw will secure advancement to the Round of 16 for both teams.
Having left Europe and Paris Saint-Germain for less than two years, Messi continues to perform at the highest level in the world. With this goal, he set a record of 50 goals in 61 matches for Inter Miami, making him the club's all-time leading scorer.
This is not his first appearance in the Club World Cup. During his time at Barcelona, he already scored 6 goals in 7 matches, with 3 of those coming in finals. He experienced victories in this tournament in 2009, 2011, and 2015, and has recorded a total of 754 goals in his club career, proving he is still going strong.
Teammate Papa Pico asserted, "He is still the best player in the world." Messi's total of 6 goals in the Club World Cup ranks him tied for second place alongside Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema, just one goal behind Cristiano Ronaldo (7 goals).
In the match against Porto, Messi recorded the most successful dribbles (2), the third most touches on the team (70), and the fifth most pass attempts overall (56). Only Sergio Busquets (85) and Porto's Fábio Vieira (99) had more touches than him.
Former Scotland international Don Hutchison evaluated, "It’s not just about making a lot of passes; he controls the game in a way that impacts it. At 37 years old, he still maintains that fantastic touch."
[OSEN]