'The nerves and anxiety played a trick on us' - Javier Mascherano reflects on Inter Miami's goalless draw against Al Ahly to open 2025 Club World Cup

Inter Miami kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium. Head coach Javier Mascherano acknowledged the nerves and anxiety that plagued his team in the first half but praised the response after the break.

“I'm happy with the performance. We were better in the second half. In the first, we lost a few balls and gave away too many transitions where they were dangerous,” said Mascherano. “In the second half, we created chances, controlled the game, and had opportunities to win it. That’s football.”

Despite the lack of goals, Mascherano expressed satisfaction with the effort and attitude shown by his squad, especially knowing what lies ahead in the group stage: clashes with Porto and Palmeiras.

“We knew we were up against a strong team...The nerves and anxiety played a trick on us in the first half,” he admitted. “But we had our chances to win. The team left a very good impression. This is the path forward… playing like this, we can beat anyone.”

In a debut where Lionel Messi appeared isolated and the team lacked clear scoring chances, Inter Miami began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a goalless draw - an underwhelming result that does little to boost their hopes of advancing from Group A.

While it's still early to predict what the tournament holds for the Herons, the stakes were high in this opening match, especially given that they share the group with Porto and Palmeiras - two of their respective continent's most formidable sides. A win would have given Mascherano’s team valuable breathing room.

The Argentine made only two substitutions throughout the match. His squad showed a better version in the second half, controlling possession and looking more organized, but ultimately lacked the cutting edge to secure all three points.

Mascherano also praised the performance of his captain and countryman, Messi, who once again took on the burden of leading the team’s attack. Despite coming off international duty with Argentina just days ago, Messi played the full 90 minutes in Inter Miami’s Club World Cup debut.

“It’s admirable how much love Messi has for the game. After all the matches he’s played, he’s still here, giving his all,” Mascherano said. “Of course, we wanted to win, but I’m happy with the team’s performance today.”

The Herons will travel to Atlanta to face Porto next Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.