Hard Rock Stadium- Inter Miami CF continues to make history at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. The Herons advanced to the knockout round, becoming the first MLS side to accomplish the feat. A 2-2 draw with Brazilian powerhouse Palmeiras saw Miami finish second in the group and advance along with the Brazilians.
Miami Surprise
Tadeo Allende turned on the rockets against Palmeiras and put Inter Miami CF ahead 1-0 in the 16th minute with a phenomenal breakaway goal. Federico Redondo launched a ball up for Luis Suarez, who made a marvelous chest pass to a surging Allende. Tadeo finished with a clean shot into the Palmeiras net.
Luis Suarez controls & sets up Tadeo Allende perfectly for a breakaway score …#InterMiamiCF leads 1-0 #FIFACWC25 #MLS
— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 24, 2025
The Herons extended the lead in the second half with a Luis Suarez masterpiece of a Golazo! The wily veteran with bad knees juked and danced past Palmeiras defenders to finish with a boombastic left-footed shot that gave Miami a surprising 2-0 lead in the 65th minute.
Luis Suarez with some magic 🪄 to put #InterMiamiCF ahead 2-0.. #MLS #FIFCWC25
pic.twitter.com/I91YXyXvtB— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 24, 2025
The Herons led 2-0 and found themselves in first place in the group, but Palmeiras was far from done on the night.
Palmeiras Pounces Back
Palmeiras reacted with a pair of late goals to even the game versus Miami, and found themselves very close to winning the match in the final minutes. Paulinho, in the 80th minute, gave Palmeiras life with a low crossing shot.
Paulinho cuts the #InterMiamiCF lead to 2-1..#MLS #FIFACWC25
pic.twitter.com/oyO4cqn7pK— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 24, 2025
Mauricio evened up the match in the 87th minute with a blast past Oscar Ustari. The goal gave the Brazilian side first place in the group and pushed Miami down to second.
Mauricio gives Palmeiras the 2-2 draw & 1st place in the group with a late goal..#InterMiamiCF could not hold on to the lead in a game they led 2-0 at one point…#MLS #FIFACWC25
pic.twitter.com/APkHOgrtOl— Xavier Guerrero (@XGLAVOZ) June 24, 2025
The Aftermath
The Heron’s draw versus Palmeira led Miami to a matchup with European heavyweight PSG, Lionel Messi’s former team, before his move to Miami in July 2023. Messi doesn’t have the fondest memories of the Parisian club, and neither does the PSG fanbase of him. It’s going to be another David vs Goliath game for Miami, and the Herons have proven that they are in the tournament to compete against any team.
Postgame
Tadeo Allende was asked about Miami’s chances against PSG,
This is futbol, it could be for anyone
The FIFA Club World Cup has shown that surprises can happen. Inter Miami has the Goat and the Barca Boys, older and a little slower, but still good enough to pull an upset.
Jordi Alba also spoke after the match, and the legendary left-back wasn’t happy with the result,
Not very positive, we had enough merits to win the match. I think in the three games we have played, we have been better than our opponents..Now we’ll see how well we can compete against PSG
Alba has always been an elite competitor and understands that when you have a good team down, the job has to be finished. Miami allowed Palmeiras to get back in the game, and it cost them first place in the group.
Final Thoughts
Inter Miami has qualified for the round of sixteen of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. This is a historic event that deserves to be celebrated on its own merits. Before the start of the tournament, the Herons had not been playing good futbol. After the initial minutes of the Al Ahly game, the Herons have been playing at a level we had not seen during the MLS season. The key for Miami is to maintain this momentum as they continue their quest for the MLS Cup.
Lionel Messi is an ageless wonder. The Goat continues to shine on the pitch despite being 38 years old. The speed is not the same physically, but the mental acuity is beyond comparison. We are lucky to have Lionel be a part of the initial years of this club.
The Herons have nothing to lose against PSG. If they lose, it’s what was expected all along anyway; if they win, the miracle tournament run will continue. Sunday afternoon, tune in for the match, because with this Inter Miami CF, history is being made every game.
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