Dhaka, June 21 -- Lionel Messi struck a stunning free-kick to seal a 2-1 comeback victory for Inter Miami over Porto in their FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) Group-A clash on Thursday.

Porto took the early lead just eight minutes into the match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Inter Miami defender Noah Allen was penalized for a challenge on Joao Mario inside the box following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.

Samu Aghehowa stepped up and converted the resulting penalty, beating veteran Inter Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari despite the Argentine getting a hand to the ball.

The Portuguese side nearly doubled its advantage before halftime when midfielder Alan Varela's powerful strike from 20 yards hit the post. The rebound deflected off Ustari's b...