UEFA Champions League finalists Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Mexican side Monterrey in their opening Group E match at the FIFA Club World Cup on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
In a contest that marked the managerial debuts for both clubs’ new coaches, Cristian Chivu for Inter and Domenec Torrent for Monterrey, it was the CONCACAF representatives who struck first. In the 25th minute, veteran defender Sergio Ramos, 39, rose above the Inter defence to power home a header from a corner kick, giving Monterrey a surprise lead.
Inter Milan, who dominated possession for large spells, found their equaliser three minutes before halftime. A floated free-kick from Kristjan Asllani was directed across the face of the goal by Carlos Augusto, providing captain Lautaro Martinez with a simple tap-in.
Despite Inter’s pressure, Monterrey had a golden opportunity to win the match in stoppage time, but Nelson Deossa could only find the side-netting from a promising position. The match at the Rose Bowl was played in hot conditions with a significant number of empty seats visible.
“I think we could have scored a second goal, which we didn’t unfortunately,” Inter midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan said after the game. “But this is football, we have to work hard… I think we have to be more aggressive in front of goal, we need to score more goals.”
The draw comes after a period of transition for the Italian club, with Chivu having recently taken over from Simone Inzaghi following Inter’s 5-0 defeat to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League final.
Both teams will play their next tournament fixtures on Saturday. Monterrey will return to the Rose Bowl to face group leaders River Plate, who defeated Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 earlier on Tuesday. Inter Milan will travel to Seattle to take on the Japanese side.
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