○Inter Miami and Lionel Messi’s biggest dream has disappeared once again. It was a bittersweet night for the Argentine star, who reached the historic milestone of 900 goals in all competitions, as his side could only manage a 1-1 draw against Nashville SC. The Herons were eliminated from the Conca Champions due to the away goals rule, leaving a gap in their 2026 ambitions.
Despite the loss to the reigning MLS champions, Nashville coach Brian Callahan expressed deep admiration for the Argentina captain, suggesting that Messi’s mere presence forced his players to raise their level of play to an unexpected level.
History is made every time Lionel Messi scores his 900th goal for Inter Miami
Nashville manager praises Messi
During the post-match press conference, Callahan was asked by BOLAVIP US about Messi’s record and how it affected his game plan. The strategist freely admitted that, ironically, facing the best team in the world is the key to pulling off an “upset” for Nashville.
That’s… Look, 900 goals is amazing. Congratulations to him. He’s the best…When you play against great teams and great players, the good thing is you bring out the best in yourself and the team. And I think that’s what we did tonight
For Callahan, the requirement to mark Messi allowed the team to show a competitive side that they were unable to achieve with other opponents. After securing passage to the next round, he proudly added, “You could see some of the best qualities we have.”
Mascherano’s self-criticism after losing to Inter Miami
Inter Miami’s loss came as a huge shock to the fans and the team’s locker room. After the draw, coach Javier Mascherano was quite self-critical and believed that he was solely responsible 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.
“It was a very close game and we were hoping to advance…The game was obviously still in danger because it was a very close game against a strong opponent,” the former footballer concluded.
