How the Club World Cup kicked off: Beefed-up security, 60,000 fans, Lionel Messi snubs Speed and a night of glitz and glamour as tournament begins

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It was exciting start to the tournament despite the match ending in stalemate

Lionel Messi drew a crowd of 60,000 and showed flashes of his brilliance as his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday.

Despite concerns pre-match over ticket sales, fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins.

However, Messi could not fully deliver, coming closest late on when his effort was deflected onto the crossbar with Inter Miami owner David Beckham watching on.

Social media sensation IShowSpeed was also in attendance and was seen wearing a Crstiano Ronaldo T-shirt.

Speed, who rose to fame through his worship of Ronaldo, attempted to get the attention of Messi as his idol's long-term rival made his way to the pitch, only for the Argentine to blank him.

Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, will take on Palmeiras in New York, where more of their fans are expected to turn up.

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were held to a 0-0 draw in their Club World Cup opener

A glitzy opening ceremony had been held prior to the tournament's first match in Miami

French Montana and Swae Lee were among the artists to perform at the opening ceremony

No incidents were reported at the game after around 1,000 protesters gathered in the morning near President Donald Trump´s Mar-a-Lago estate, about 70 miles (110 km) north of Miami, waving placards and chanting slogans as part of coordinated nationwide 'No Kings' demonstrations.

In Miami, 60,927 fans almost filled the 65,000-capacity stadium for Inter´s clash with Al-Ahly dismissing, at least on the night, concerns about the attractiveness of the tournament featuring 32 teams for the first time, a year before the World Cup in the US.

Inter Miami, whose home attendances average 20,663 in their 21,550-seat Chase Stadium, have been a major road draw in 2025, regularly attracting record crowds across the country since Messi's arrival in 2023.

Adan De La Rosa travelled from Mexico just to see Messi play. 'There's a lot of excitement to see Messi, it's the same for everyone,' he said.

Al-Ahly, backed by dozens of thousands of fans, got off to a strong start but wasted two early chances and Oscar Ustari parried away Trezeguet's poorly taken penalty kick after Zizo was fouled in the box by Telasco Segovia.

Messi threatened at times after spending some time on the ground after being hit on the knee, but Miami could feel lucky not to be behind at halftime.

Miami, however, stepped up a gear after the break, and Messi came close when his nicely curled 25-metre free kick kissed the post and hit the side netting.

With six minutes left, the World Cup winner scooped a perfect cross for Fafa Picault, whose header was tipped over the bar by Mohamed Elshenawy.

Leo Messi completely ignored IShowSpeed on his way to the pitch last night. 👀 pic.twitter.com/JR3zu6InLO — Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) June 15, 2025

Messi greeted FIFA legends pre-match in the tunnel but ignored streamer IShowSpeed

The Argentine went closest to scoring a winning goal but the opening match ended in a draw

David Beckham was in attendance to watch his side get held to a frustrating stalemate

Social media sensation iShowSpeed was in attendance as the tournament got underway

A crowd of over 60,000 were in attendance to watch Messi (left) take part in the opener

He came as close as you can in the dying seconds when his curled strike from outside the box was tipped onto the bar by Elshenawy.

The Club World Cup continues on Sunday with Champions League winners PSG taking on Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich playing Auckland City.

Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano heaped praise on the commitment of Lionel Messi after his team played out a 0-0 draw with Al Ahly in the opening game of the Club World Cup.

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

'Clearly, when we find Leo in positions and get the ball to him in the best way, that's where we have the most options.'

'We take it game by game,' said Mascherano. 'We know that the level will clearly rise in the next game because they're a European opponent, but we have to stay with the feeling that it's 11 against 11. Anything can happen in football.'

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