Inter Miami’s dreams of continental championship were dashed Wednesday night at Chase Stadium. Despite a good start, Javier Mascherano’s side drew 1-1 with Nashville SC and were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Concaf Champions Cup due to away goals rule after a 0-0 draw in the first leg.
The game went in Inter Miami’s favor thanks to Messi’s performance, but Nashville equalized and held on until the 90th minute, earning them an unexpected place in the next phase of the tournament.
History is made every time Lionel Messi scores his 900th goal for Inter Miami
Mascherano’s self-criticism after losing to Inter Miami
Javier Mascherano’s side dominated most of the match, but were unable to close it out. In the 74th minute, Argentina’s Cristian Espinoza pounced on a loose ball in the area and scored the equalizer, but despite the late introduction of Luis Suarez, Florida could not recover from the blow.
At the end of the match, a visibly affected Mascherano addressed the media and took responsibility for the result.
“To tell you the truth, I have nothing to blame for the players. They gave everything. I am the only one responsible for this defeat,” said the Argentine coach.
Inter Miami says goodbye to its main objective
For Inter Miami, this tournament was an absolute priority for the 2026 season after investing heavily in players such as Rodrigo de Paul and German Bertelame. Mascherano analyzed the parity of the match and the frustration of being left behind so close.
It was very close, so we were hoping to get ahead in the competition… It was a very close game against a strong opponent, so the game was obviously still in the balance.
With this result, Nashville SC will advance to the quarterfinals and will face Club America. Inter Miami, on the other hand, will have to lick their wounds and focus all their energies on MLS in order to repeat the glory they achieved in 2025.
