Global Milestone: Inter Miami enters the world stage at Hard Rock Stadium (includes video story)

Just five years after its founding, Inter Miami has reached a major milestone, making its debut at the first FIFA Club World Cup. The young MLS club is now competing on the international stage, led by global star Lionel Messi.

“It’s beautiful,” said longtime fan Freddy Lopez. “There are teams that have been around longer and couldn’t get to this point. I think it’s a good opportunity, and the team has been improving every year since it was founded.”

Inter Miami opened the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Egyptian club Al Ahly. Goalkeeper Oscar Ustari was named man of the match after saving a penalty and making several important saves.

“He was key to at least get the draw,” another fan, Israel Velazquez, noted.

Supporters are hopeful but realistic for the future.

“Of course I’d love to see them reach the final,” said Ludwin Molina. “But I’ll be happy if they just keep improving.”

With upcoming matches against Porto and Palmeiras, the road ahead is tough. Still, fans believe there’s a chance to advance.

Mauro Rueda is a bilingual Digital Communication and Media major who is fluent in Spanish and English. He aspires to have a career in broadcast journalism that allows him to cover sporting events in print and on TV.

Brianna Arias is an Ecuadorian-American digital broadcasting student who intends to pursue a career as a sports broadcaster, combining her passion for sports and journalism. Arias is open to finding new opportunities to enter this field, and her ultimate dream would be to one day broadcast the World Cup and motivate people to see more of the world of soccer.

Alejandro Marquina Villalobos is a junior majoring in Digital Broadcasting. In the future, he’s hoping to make an impact nationally and internationally as a political journalist.