Mumbai, June 15: An Argentine not named Messi was the MVP for Inter Miami in the Club World Cup on . The hero in the tournament opener was goaltender Oscar Ustari. Ustari made eight saves, including a penalty and goal-line intervention, as Miami played Egypt's Al Ahly to a scoreless draw in the Group A tournament opener. Ustari's save of a header in the 33rd minute was second only to stopping Trezeguet's penalty just before halftime and making sure danger was averted when the ball bounced back to Al Ahly's forward. Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and Egypt’s Al Ahly Battle to Scoreless Draw in FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Opener.

The 38-year-old Ustari returned to a World Cup stage in this new Club World Cup format for the first time since winning the U-20 World Cup in 2005 — with none other than Messi, Inter Miami's captain. Before joining Inter Miami, Ustari was captain of C.F. Pachuca, also in the tournament, but faced controversy because Grupo Pachuca also owns Club León, which was removed by FIFA and had its appeal rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Ustari made 124 appearances with the "Tuzos" before playing briefly for Audax Italiano in the first division of Chile. He was signed as a free agent in September 2024 by Inter Miami. He has played 22 games, including eight in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

What Ustari said

“I don't like to talk about myself. The team did a great job defensively and that is what I most care about. I remember being retired and knew that my return would come on a field, so I'm very happy about it (being back). I thought we were superior, that's what I think. The game left me with good feelings, but our next rival is very different.” USA Customs and Border Protection To Deploy Border Patrol for Security at FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Says ‘It’s Routine To Provide Security for Such Events’.

What Suarez Said

“We didn't think their keeper would make so many saves, he was the key player in the game along with Oscar in the first half, but that shows that goalkeepers can earn you points as well.” — Luis Suarez, Inter Miami forward.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)