Lionel Messi’s return to Major League Soccer following the death of his father was a harsh night, as he missed a penalty during Inter Miami’s heavy 4-1 defeat to Nashville.
The Argentine star had returned to the pitch three days earlier, coming on as a substitute at the start of the second half against Mexican side León in the Leagues Cup—a match Inter Miami lost 3-2, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.
Messi started the match against Nashville, and his team earned an early opportunity to equalize after Luis Suárez was brought down inside the penalty area. However, the Inter Miami captain struck the ball weakly, allowing goalkeeper Joe Willis to make the save.
Sergio Reguilón scored from the rebound, but VAR ruled out the goal, making this Messi’s third consecutive miss from the penalty spot, following his two missed penalties with Argentina against Austria and Egypt in the 2026 World Cup.
Messi partially made up for the miss by assisting Telasco Segovia’s equalizer before the end of the first half, but he was unable to save his team after a defensive collapse in the second half saw them concede three goals.
The 39-year-old also received a yellow card for protesting Nashville’s third goal, before sarcastically applauding the referee to express his frustration with the decision.
This continues Inter Miami’s decline, having lost their last three matches against Monterrey and León in the Leagues Cup, and then Nashville in the league, conceding 9 goals in the process. The string of defeats saw them exit the continental tournament and fail to seize the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Inter Miami’s tally froze at 38 points in second place, while Nashville raised its total to 43 points at the top of the standings, moving 5 points clear of Messi’s team following their head-to-head clash.
