Controversial penalty and yet another innovation! What happened in the Porto-Inter Miami match

In the second round of Group A at the Club World Cup in Atlanta, Porto faced off against the star-studded Inter Miami.

Details: Beyond Inter's galaxy of stars—Messi, Suárez, and Busquets—the match was marked by a mini-scandal and the introduction of a brand-new rule, making its first appearance on the big football stage.

The drama unfolded in the 5th minute, when Porto defender João Mário went down inside Inter’s penalty area after a tussle with an opponent. Play continued for a full two minutes until the ball finally went out of play. Only then did the match referee, Cristian Garay, pause the action to review the incident using the VAR system.

With the new tournament regulation in effect, fans were able to follow the VAR process live, watching footage from every angle on the stadium’s big screens. After analyzing the episode, the referee stepped to the sideline and announced his decision to the entire stadium, explaining the reasoning behind the call.

The incident sparked a storm of protest from Inter’s head coach Javier Mascherano, but the decision stood: a penalty was awarded, and the football rule reform was officially put into practice—not just on paper, but on the pitch.

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