Palmeiras comes back to tie Inter Miami 2-2, sending both teams to Club World Cup round of 16

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Palmeiras came from behind to play Inter Miami to a 2-2 draw in front of an electric crowd at Hard Rock Stadium, and both clubs advanced to the Club World Cup round of 16 on Monday night.

Mauricio sealed the comeback for the historic Brazilian club with the equalizer in the 87th minute after Palmeiras trailed most of the match.

A tie was enough to send both teams to the knockout round after they entered Monday's match tied atop the Group A standings with four points apiece.

For a while, it looked like Inter Miami would advance as winners of the group after taking a 2-0 lead deep into regulation on goals by Tadeo Allende in the 16th and veteran Luis Suarez in the 65th.

Palmeiras clawed back after a couple of second-half substitutions. Paulinho got his team on the board in the 80th, and the equalizer from Mauricio came a few minutes later.

Messi, who turns 39 on Tuesday, had numerous chances but did not score Monday despite the crowd chanting his name throughout the match.

Messi was seen shaking his head just after Mauricio broke through Miami's defense and hammered the tying goal past goalkeeper Oscar Ustari, as Miami's lead had slipped away in a matter of minutes.

Palmeiras finished as winners of Group A on goal differential and will face fellow Brazilian squad Botafogo in the round of 16, while Inter Miami will face Group B winner and Messi's former club Paris Saint-Germain. The Herons were the only MLS club to advance to the round of 16 after Los Angeles FC and Seattle were eliminated.

“It’s very important that the team was able to compete at this level at the Club World Cup. I think we’ve left our mark as a competitive team. I think this is good for us to see where the limit really is for the MLS. This is the message that we’re giving. Beyond that, we’ve got to prepare for what’s coming. We know it will be a challenge, just as this round was.” — Suarez through an interpreter

“We could at the last moment have won the match, but quite honestly it wouldn’t have been fair given how Inter Miami played in the first half. Tying was the best result. ... Whether it’s by tying or by winning, this is what we came for." — Palmeiras head coach Abel Moreira through an interpreter

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Inter Miami's Luis Suarez celebrates after scoring his side's second goal against Palmeiras during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Palmeiras' Paulinho celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Inter Miami's Tadeo Allende celebrates after scoring past Palmeiras goalie Weverton during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Inter Miami's Tadeo Allende celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Palmeiras during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Palmeiras' Mauricio, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the Club World Cup Group A soccer match between Inter Miami and Palmeiras in Miami Gardens, Fla., Monday, June 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 12, 2026--

Today, a leading global wedding technology platform The Knot Worldwide (TKWW), announced the appointment of Michael Pickrum as Chief Financial Officer. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic finance, operations, and business development within the media and technology industries, Pickrum will oversee TKWW’s global finance organization. Pickrum joins TKWW at an exciting moment as the company celebrates its 30-year anniversary and continues to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260112910392/en/

Pickrum joins TKWW from Maximum Effort, the media, marketing, and investment company co-founded by Ryan Reynolds, where he served as Chief Financial Officer. Before this, he held the roles of COO and CFO at ExecOnline, Inc., a B2B online leadership development company. Pickrum spent over 17 years at BET/Viacom, where he served as EVP and CFO starting in 2007. Prior to that, he was COO of BET Interactive. He earned his master's and bachelor's degrees in engineering from Stanford University and his MBA from The Wharton School.

“I am thrilled to be joining TKWW at such an important time in the company’s journey,” said Michael Pickrum, CFO, TKWW. “There is incredible power in celebrations and I am looking forward to working with the exceptional team at TKWW to further enable our millions of couples and 900,000 small business owners around the world to celebrate life’s most meaningful moments.”

“Michael is a world-class financial and operations leader with an impressive track record of driving strategic growth and operational excellence across media and technology companies,” said Raina Moskowitz, CEO, TKWW. “As we continue to grow and scale with a focus on product innovation, Michael’s deep expertise in strategic planning, analysis, and capital allocation will be critical to our ongoing success. We are thrilled to have him join our team and help guide TKWW through our next phase of growth.”

Pickrum is based in New York, NY and reports to TKWW Chief Executive Officer Raina Moskowitz.

About The Knot Worldwide
Across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia, The Knot Worldwide champions the power of celebration. The company’s global family of brands provides best-in-class products, services, and content to take celebration planning from inspiration to action. Through its wedding brands, including The Knot, WeddingWire, Bodas.net, Hitched.co.uk, Mariages.net, Matrimonio.com, and others, the company offers an extensive database of hundreds of thousands of wedding professionals to assist couples in organizing the happiest day of their lives. We have a brand for every kind of celebration—from booking a birthday party, to planning a wedding, to preparing to become a parent, and every moment in between.

Michael Pickrum, courtesy of The Knot Worldwide