On the eve of his 38th birthday, Lionel Messi may not have delivered a goal or assist for Inter Miami in their 2-2 draw against Palmeiras but his presence, once again, played its part in pushing his team over the line. It was a dominant display from the American side until the 80th minute of the match. <\/p>
Inter Miami found themselves two goals up by the 65th minute, courtesy of strikes from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez. But just when it seemed like their were cruising to victory, Palmeiras fought back. Paulinho’s 80th-minute goal gave the Brazilian side hope and Mauricio’s late equalizer ensured that Palmeiras topped Group A ahead of Inter Miami.<\/p>
Despite Inter Miami’s late capitulation, they finished second in Group A and advanced to the Round of 16 at the FIFA Club World Cup. Lionel Messi’s team had began their World Cup campaign with a goalless draw against Al Ahly, followed by a hard-fought 2-1 win over Porto.<\/p>