Inter Miami hold their nerve to make MLS history after late Palmeiras rally
Two goals up with 10 minutes to play, and still no one at Hard Rock Stadium could relax. Palmeiras fought back, the noise spiked, and the clock crawled. When the whistle finally went, the 2-2 draw felt less like a stumble and more like a step into new territory: Inter Miami are through to the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16 — the first MLS team to reach the knockout stages.
On June 24, 2025, Miami needed a result to finish the job in Group A. They got it the hard way. Tado Allende struck early, Luis Suárez added a vintage finish after halftime, and Palmeiras answered with a furious push that produced goals in the 80th and 87th minutes. It wasn’t pretty at the end, but it was enough. Five points from three games, unbeaten, second in the group, and a date in the Round of 16 on June 28 or 29 against a Group B opponent.
For a club born in 2020, and a league that has taken years to be taken seriously on the global stage, the moment landed with real weight. This run already includes another milestone: the 2-1 win over FC Porto — the first Club World Cup victory for any MLS side.
How the match unfolded
Miami’s opener came from alert pressing and a quick transition. In the 16th minute, a defensive clearance from Federico Redondo fell into the right pocket of space. Luis Suárez, reading it early, chested the ball into Allende’s stride near midfield. Allende burst away on a clean break, waited out Weverton, and tucked a composed finish to the far post for his first goal in the competition. One chance, one goal, and a stadium suddenly believing.
The second came from a player who has made these nights his stage. In the 65th minute, Suárez isolated a defender, shifted past him into the box, and hammered a left-footed shot into the top-left corner. It was his first goal of the 2025 tournament and the sixth of his Club World Cup career — a reminder that even at this phase, his instincts still flip games.
Palmeiras never went away. The Brazilian champions controlled long stretches after halftime, cycling possession and testing Miami’s lines with balls between center back and fullback. The momentum turned fully in the final 15 minutes. Paulinho narrowed the gap in the 80th minute, pouncing in the area to give Palmeiras life. Seven minutes later, Mauricio leveled it, finishing a move that Miami couldn’t kill at the source.
The closing minutes were rescue mode for Miami: slower restarts, compact shape, clearances to the corners, and a fanbase counting down the seconds. When they got over the line, the reaction was relief first, pride second.
Key moments at a glance:
- 16' — Allende capitalizes on a transition, 1-0 Miami
- 65' — Suárez lashes home a left-footed strike, 2-0 Miami
- 80' — Paulinho pulls one back, 2-1
- 87' — Mauricio equalizes, 2-2
Weverton’s leadership for Palmeiras kept the visitors steady after the early blow, and their midfield tilt after the hour mark pushed Miami deeper than planned. On the other side, Redondo’s reading of danger and Miami’s back line held together just long enough, even with late pressure through the box.
Javier Mascherano didn’t hide the mixed feelings afterward — happy with the target achieved, clear that this level punishes lapses. The staff will pick apart the final 15 minutes, where Miami’s lines stretched and second balls fell the wrong way. But in tournament play, results carry more weight than aesthetics.
Tactically, Miami’s plan worked for 70 minutes: absorb, spring quickly through Allende and Suárez, and manage rhythm by fouling smartly and using the flanks to exit. Palmeiras adjusted with more aggressive fullback play and quicker combinations around the top of the box. That’s where Miami will look for cleaner timing from their midfield screen in the next round.
Hard Rock Stadium felt like a neutral-site showcase that tilted home. The energy matched the stakes, and the setting — an NFL venue that will host 2026 World Cup games — amplified the occasion. For a league judged for attendance and spectacle as much as results, that matters too.
Context also helps this result land. MLS clubs have taken their lumps in global tournaments. The expanded Club World Cup demands depth, game management, and the ability to flip a match with one or two elite moments. Miami delivered those moments here. Allende’s finish was pure composure. Suárez’s strike was the kind of world-class action that swings brackets.
Group A finishes with Miami on five points from three games — one win and two draws — and a clean record against different styles: Porto’s compact, hardened European approach and Palmeiras’ fluid, methodical pressure. Staying unbeaten through that mix is no small thing.
What comes next? A quick reset. The Round of 16 falls on June 28 or 29, opponent from Group B. The turnaround is tight, so recovery dominates the next 48 hours: light sessions for starters, tactical reps for the rotation, and set-piece tweaks to tighten late-game moments. Expect the staff to prioritize controlling leads, especially in the last quarter-hour where Palmeiras found joy.
Three storylines to watch heading into the knockouts:
- Game management late: Miami will want to close space earlier and keep the ball longer after taking leads.
- Suárez’s impact: with six career goals in this tournament, his touch in the box remains their best edge in single-elimination games.
- Allende’s rise: first Club World Cup goal, smart runs, and chemistry with Suárez — a valuable second threat defences must track.
There’s a bigger picture too. For MLS, a team in the Club World Cup knockouts changes the conversation. It doesn’t settle it — one run won’t transform perception — but it puts a stake in the ground. For Miami, it validates the project: blend veteran star power with younger, hungry profiles and trust that on nights like this, the balance holds.
Palmeiras leave with a result that keeps their own ambitions alive, and their late surge showed they carry the kind of resilience that travels. Their pressure asked questions Miami will see again in the next round. That’s the standard here.
No parade yet. Just a marker reached, a bracket looming, and a team that now knows it can take a punch, regroup, and still move on. For Miami and for MLS, that’s a night worth remembering.