Lionel Messi’s late rocket of a goal wasn’t enough, as Nashville secured a 2-1 home victory over Inter Miami on Saturday, forcing a decisive Game 3 in their MLS playoff series.
Messi had scored twice to lead Miami to a comfortable 3-1 win in Game 1 eight days earlier, but the story was different for most of the 90 minutes in Nashville.
First-half goals from Sam Surridge and Josh Power helped the hosts end a 10-game winless streak against the South Florida side, a run that predates Messi’s arrival by more than two years.
The two teams will now meet again in a week’s time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals will be up for grabs.
Miami can no longer afford any mistakes as they look to avoid a repeat of last year’s early playoff exit, when they beat Atlanta United in their opening game only to lose the next two and be eliminated in the first round.
Messi had scored seven goals in his last three games, five of them against Nashville, and while it was a relatively quiet night by his standards, the Argentine superstar was still capable of producing a moment of brilliance.
For the first time, Messi was given space around the penalty area and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from the edge of the box that nestled into the back of the net. The goal set off a tense final few minutes, but Nashville held on to keep Miami on the brink of another early end to their season.
NOT. OVER. YET.
Messi strikes to pull one back! // Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pic.twitter.com/o6vAOEvBAj
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 2, 2025
