Lionel Messi faced his third consecutive penalty miss as Inter Miami fell to a 4-1 defeat against the top-ranking Nashville SC on Saturday.
In the 23rd minute, Messi had a chance to level the score at 1-1 but his penalty kick was saved by Nashville goalie Brian Schwake, diving low to his right. Although Sergio Reguilón scored from the rebound, the goal was disallowed after a video review for encroachment.
According to ESPN Research, this is the first time since 2014 that Messi has missed three consecutive penalties. His previous misses came during this summer’s World Cup where he failed to convert two attempts for Argentina—one against Austria in the group stage and another against Egypt in the round of 16.
This was also Messi’s first penalty miss in the MLS since September 13, 2025.
Miami briefly equalized after Andy Nájar opened the scoring in the 17th minute. Messi provided an assist to Telasco Segovia, who skillfully found the back of the net in first-half stoppage time. However, Nashville took control early in the second half, with former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar scoring twice and Sam Surridge adding a clever back-heeled goal in between.
Frustrated, Messi strongly argued with the referee over a foul he felt occurred in the buildup to Surridge’s goal, earning himself a yellow card.
Messi’s struggles continued into stoppage time, where he hit both posts in a single attack, and another effort was ruled offside.
The match’s clinching fourth goal came from a costly error by Miami’s goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, who slipped outside the penalty area, allowing Nashville’s goalkeeper Schwake to send a long ball forward to Mukhtar, who easily scored into the empty net.
After a six-game unbeaten streak in the league, the defending MLS Cup champions were hoping to reclaim the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a win. Instead, Nashville now holds a five-point lead, with 15 games left in the regular season.
Miami had previously suffered two losses in the MLS versus Liga MX Leagues Cup, exiting before the knockout stage, but those defeats came without Messi or striker Luis Suárez in the starting XI.
Following the game, Inter Miami’s manager Guillermo Hoyos emphasized the need for continued improvement. “A defeat like this won’t deter us; we will keep advancing. We’ll take a day to rest and then refocus on our objectives. One loss doesn’t change our ambitions; in fact, it motivates us to aim higher and foster the team’s growth,” he said. “I appreciate the effort from the players. While the 4-1 score is discouraging, the team faced a significant emotional challenge; you have to be on the field to fully grasp it. Despite the unfavorable outcome, there were valuable performances, and that’s what truly matters to me.”
Messi returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing the prior match due to the loss of his father, Jorge. He had come off the bench in the preceding loss to León. Suárez was suspended for the entire Leagues Cup due to an incident in last year’s final.
Miami aims to bounce back when they face the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.