Al Ahly, Inter Miami goalkeepers were the story in exciting draw

Heading into the opening match of Saturday's 2025 FIFA Club World Cup showdown between Al Ahly and Inter Miami, live and free on DAZN, many soccer fans were counting out the Egyptian Premier League Champions. 

However, Al Ahly had other plans in mind, playing tough against the MLS team and ending in a thrilling 0-0 tie to earn each team one point in Group A. Both teams return on Thursday, as Inter Miami takes on Porto, while Al Ahly faces off against Palmeiras.

Here are the key talking points coming from Al Ahly vs. Inter Miami.

• Read more | 2025 FIFA Club World Cup fixtures: Schedule, kick-off times and results for every club

The goalkeepers stole the show 

Whenever Lionel Messi is on the marquee, he's typically the story. Yes, he played a factor in the game, which will be brought up later. The lead story, though, was Al Ahly goalie Mohamed El Shenawy and Inter Miami's Oscar Ustari. Combined, they made 13 saves with Ustari making eight and El Shenawy with five of his own.

The first half belonged to Ustari. He set the tone with two game-changing saves in the first ten minutes alone and single-handedly kept Inter Miami in the game. 

The second half belonged to El Shenawy as he went on to make two dynamic saves at the end of the game to secure the tie and give his team a key point.

Without Ustari and El Shenawy, the result of this game would have gone the other way and started the tournament on the wrong foot. Ustari was the Player of the Match, but could have easily gone to El Shenawy or been given to both goalkeepers.

Lionel Messi still has the magic

While the legend from Argentina didn't get a goal in the game, that doesn't mean he didn't make a significant impact. He shifted the complexion of the game near the end of the first half. Al Ahly had the momentum for all of the opening half with constant pressure on offense and playing good enough defense that Inter Miami really couldn't get inside the penalty box. 

Then, in the final couple of minutes of the half with extra added time, Messi had a kick that hit the top of the post and two corner kicks to keep the ball on Inter Miami's side of the field to give them some confidence heading into halftime. 

In turn, that confidence came out from the locker room, and Inter Miami controlled the second half, including injury time. With the game at stake and lights shining the brightest, Messi nearly added to his legacy with he boomed a kick that was going to go inside the top part of the net. But El Shenawy made a save for the ages in barely tipping the ball, which led to it hitting the post and heading out of bounds. 

While he didn't get the result and the stats he was looking for, Messi still made a sizable impact on the game.

Al Ahly Put The Soccer World On Notice

Many didn't give Al Ahly much of a chance heading into this opening match. They didn't have the big names like Messi and Luis Suarez, and Ustari. They were supposed to roll over. They were supposed to head down to Miami Gardens, Fla., and hand three points to Inter Miami.

But that's why you play the game. Al Ahly refused to let the noise get to them. The Egyptian Premier League Champions had plenty of momentum, having won their last six games. They played with no fear throughout and gave Inter Miami a run for their money. 

Of course, they will look at the film and be disappointed that they failed to convert on some chances in the first half. Nonetheless, Al Ahly let the soccer world know they are for real and a force to be reckoned with for the remainder of this tournament.

Watch every match of the 2025 Club World Cup live and free on DAZN.  More information and to sign up for a free account here.