Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar.

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.

No incidents were reported at the game after around 1 000 protesters gathered in the morning near United States (US) President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, about 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 Miami’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.

--Reuters--