Inter Miami were eliminated from the Concacaf Champions Cup despite Lionel Messi achieving a historic milestone in a 1-1 draw against Nashville SC.
The result saw Inter Miami eliminated on away goals after the first leg finished 0–0, while Nashville progressed thanks to a crucial goal in the second half.
Messi gave Inter Miami an early lead, scoring his 900th career goal within the first ten minutes.
The Argentine forward becomes only the second men’s player in history to reach this milestone, joining Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, Nashville responded through Cristian Espinoza, whose goal midway through the second half leveled the match and ultimately decided the tie. Inter Miami could not find a winner in the final phase.
After the match, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said: “It’s obviously a very sad evening, full of disappointments. We had high expectations of progress in the competition – a very even tie – and today we took the lead on the scoreboard.”
“We had several chances to score one or two more goals, especially in the first half. Well, the match was clearly in danger as it was a very exciting match against a formidable opponent.”
“Unfortunately we conceded a goal after a bit of an unfortunate sequence of events; things happen and we ended up being knocked out. The reality is I have absolutely nothing to blame the players for,” he said.
“They gave their absolute maximum and did everything humanly possible; ultimately, I am the person truly responsible for this elimination.”
