The group stage matches for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup have officially concluded, as FC Porto took on Al Ahly FC last night. The matchup was the fourth and final group stage matchup in the Meadowlands. The match did not disappoint, bringing an end to the opening round in electrifying fashion.
Yesterday, June 23, the roughly 40,000 fans at MetLife Stadium gathered to watch FC Porto and Al Ahly FC face off. Both teams entered the match with a record of no wins, a draw and a loss in group stage play, meaning a win still wouldn’t guarantee either team a spot in the next round. It would all be dependent on how the game between Inter Miami and SE Palmeiras played out.
FC Porto and Al Ahly FC treated the fans to the highest-scoring game of the tournament at MetLife Stadium so far. In fact, the game had the same amount of points as the first four games played at the venue combined. The final score ended in a 4-4 draw, an outcome that neither team hoped for, as it eliminated their chances of moving on to the next round.
Al Ahly’s Wessam Abou Ali tallied a hat trick in the match, scoring the team’s first three goals. For FC Porto, four separate players scored each goal, but it was Pepê’s goal in the 89th minute that decided the game’s score. The last-minute goal secured the outcome as a draw and left the teams at the bottom of the standings for Group A.
Inter Miami and SE Palmeiras’ matchup ended in a draw, as well, meaning that both teams would be advancing to the round of 16. Palmeiras had previously made two appearances at MetLife Stadium in the group stage matches and will look to find their way back, with the venue hosting the final match of the tournament.
Two other teams that played at MetLife Stadium, Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund are on the cusp of clinching a spot in the round of 16. The two teams, who play in Group F, both have a record of one win and one draw. With one game remaining, a win can move them forward, or a draw and some luck.
MetLife Stadium will not be hosting any matchups in the round of 16, but will be returning for the quarterfinals, where only the best of the best will make it. After a hectic group stage, it is a much needed break. Though, the action is only just getting started for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the Meadowlands.