Inter Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Monterrey in their FIFA Club World Cup opener at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, on Tuesday, in the Italian team's first match since coming up short in the UEFA Champions League final.

Veteran Spanish star Sergio Ramos scored on a stunning first-half header for Monterrey, delighting a crowd that heavily favored the Mexican side in coach Domenec Torrent's debut on the bench.

Inter's Lautaro Martinez evened the score late in the first half, but the Champions League runners-up couldn't generate a second goal despite holding nearly 62 percent possession, while Monterrey managed just one shot on target.

Inter Milan coach Cristian Chivu made his first appearance in the dugout, as the Nerazzurri returned to competition just 17 days after suffering a 5-0 thrashing against Paris Saint-Germain in the European final Munich.

After the 39-year-old Ramos put Los Rayados ahead, Martinez answered in the 42nd minute by tapping in a pass from Carlos Augusto, which followed a world-class sequence of ball movement from a set piece.

Martinez thought he had scored again in the 68th minute, but was ruled offside. Both teams narrowly missed goals in the closing minutes, and Martinez picked up a yellow card in second-half stoppage time.

Chivu started just seven of predecessor Simone Inzaghi's choices from the Champions League final. Ailing striker Marcus Thuram entered early in the second half to replace 22-year-old Sebastiano Esposito, who started his first game back from seven loan stints that followed his last appearance for Inter in 2020.

Mamelodi edge Ulsan to lead Group F at Club World Cup

Mamelodi Sundowns defeated Ulsan 1-0 to become the first team to pick up a win in Group F in Orlando, Florida, leading the pool with three points.

Iqraam Rayners scored from point-blank range in the 36th minute, following an hour-long weather delay.

Mamelodi were aggressive on offense in front of a crowd of less than 1,000 fans at the 25,500-capacity Inter&Co Stadium, but the South Korean side set up the first real scoring chance of the match on a counterattack, before Erick Farias missed a one-time shot just over the crossbar.

The South African squad's relentless control of possession eventually wore down Ulsan, and Rayners converted on a soft touch into the bottom-right corner in the 36th minute.

Ulsan nearly came up with an equalizer in the 80th minute, as winger Matias Lacava took a dangerous shot directly in front of Mamelodi's net, but goalkeeper Ronwen Williams stifled the effort.