TThe Club World Cup may have been held a few months ago, but it still brings stories to tell. The tournament, which is held every four years and attracts 32 teams from around the world, opened with Inter Miami and Al Ahly on Sunday, June 15th, but an altercation between Lionel Messi and Yasser Ibrahim stole the show.
Almost nine months after that first match, the Al Ahly defender has revealed how he ended up facing the opposing team’s captain.
Ibrahim breaks the silence
Although the match ended 0-0, it was not only the scoring chances, but also the tense moments, such as the match between Leo and Yasser, that got people talking.
It all happened during a corner kick by Al Ahly, which was dangerous for Inter Miami. The two men got into an altercation inside the box and the altercation quickly turned physical when the Argentina captain lowered his head and pressed his body against him, but was unable to make contact with the defender, although the defender also gestured towards Leo.
The referee was unaware of the altercation, so the match continued as normal and the players were not given yellow cards, but the fans were, and the moment went viral. Some time later, Yasser appeared on a satirical comedy show (according to Onefootball) and explained the events that caused both players to react this way.
Al Ahhi’s No. 6 said he expected his opponents to stop playing because one of his team-mates, Marwan Attia, was undergoing treatment for a muscular problem. However, Inter Miami continued to play, causing Yasser’s anger and frustration, and subsequent confrontation with team captain Javier Mascherano. Moreover, the defender regretted this and admitted that he did it to provoke Lionel.
This was not the only controversial incident in the match, six minutes later, referee Faghani awarded Ibrahim’s side a penalty for an alleged foul by Telasco Segovia on Ahmed Said Zizo. This decision also caused controversy, as many thought the act did not merit the maximum fine. However, goalkeeper Oscar Ustari saved the shot.
On the other hand, Al Ahy failed to make it through the group stage and were eliminated early on, while Inter Miami managed to advance to the round of 16, but lost 4-0 to Leo’s old team, PSG, and was eliminated.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s next game will be against Nashville SC in the Round of 16 of the Concaf Champions Cup at Geodis Park.
