Inter Miami player ratings vs Palmeiras: Luis Suarez's goal and assist powers the Herons into the knockout rounds where star-studded match against PSG awaits

Inter Miami are off to the Round of 16 after settling for a draw against the Brazilian giants

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami booked their spot in the knockout round of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Monday evening, drawing Brazilian giants Palmeiras 2-2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, in their Group Stage finale.

The Brazilian outfit finished first in the group, and Miami in second, as the two teams shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller of Group A action.

Miami opened the scoring in the first half through a blistering counterattack. Luis Suarez fed a sprinting Tadeo Allende, who, 1v1 with the goalkeeper, put the ball home to give the Herons a 1-0 lead.

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The Uruguayan forward then doubled Miami's lead himself, 20 minutes into the second half, scoring a stupendous effort to give them a 2-0 lead and what felt like a sure victory. However, the Serie A side didn't give up, and their grit and effort paid off as they secured two late goals to manage a point on the night. Midfielder Paulinho found the back of the net in the 80th minute, and 24-year-old Mauricio arrived off the bench to draw them level with two minutes to spare in regulation to make it 2-2.

Palmeiras, with momentum behind them, nearly scored a winner with the final kick of the game, but Paulinho's attempt at a brace was denied by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano bemoaned his club's missed opportunity to seal three points and a group stage top seed after going up 2-0. Still, he's proud of his team for advancing to the knockout stages after being considered an underdog in the tournament.

“Unfortunately, we had the game in our hands and it slipped away," he told DAZN after the match. "We couldn’t maintain the intensity until the final whistle against a team with real quality and depth. Overall, the squad showed they belong here. Before the tournament, we were practically the underdogs, but with discipline, fight—and above all, football—we overcame obstacles, grew as a team, and now we’re in the quarterfinals.”

With the result, both teams confirmed their spot in the Round of 16 in the tournament. Messi and the Herons will take on his former club and current reigning champions of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, while Palmeiras will meet Brazilian rivals Botafogo in Philadelphia.

“This level of competition isn’t something we regularly encounter in our domestic league. We’ve shown we have no complexes. It’s been a huge learning experience, and we have rightfully earned the privilege to play the European champions," Mascherano said. "We’ll strive to match them, but at the end of the day, it’s still 11 against 11.”

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Hard Rock Stadium...

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