Messi and Inter Miami Must Answer Critical Questions After Champions Cup Catastrophe
If only the concluding match in Fort Lauderdale had been MLS Cup. Perhaps then, Inter Miami and their supporters would have experienced the most cherished goodbye to their debut, though temporary MLS venue since 2020.
With a thin attendance on an unusually wet and chilly South Florida evening during the week, Miami reached a new bottom in their Lionel Messi period, being eliminated from the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup in the round of 16. It represented their last game in Fort Lauderdale, before relocating to Miami at the new Nu Stadium in April.
While the Argentine scored his 900th career goal to break the deadlock in Wednesday evening's second leg following a scoreless tie last week, his Herons permitted Nashville SC's Cristian Espinoza to find the net later, sending the 2025 U.S Open Cup winners through to the Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Messi and the massive club that Miami has transformed into, stumbled at the earliest opportunity, falling to an adversary they had previously defeated in the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2025 MLS Cup playoffs.
"Congratulations to [Messi]. He's the best," Nashville manager B.J. Callaghan said after the match. "When you play great teams, and you play great players, the good thing is it brings out the best in yourself and the best in your team. I thought that's what we did tonight. You were able to see some of the best qualities that we were able to have."
Jorge Mas's Dream and Nightmare
The previous time Miami competed at Inter Miami Stadium was their 3–1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in December to capture MLS Cup. Co-owner Jorge Mas outlined the next phase in his "Freedom to Dream" initiative that day.
"We want more. Once today [the 2025 MLS Cup] is done and tomorrow comes... the goal then is Champions. The team's goal next year is the Concacaf Champions Cup because we want to qualify for the Club World Cup in 2029," he said as confetti fell.
From that point, continental supremacy shaped their offseason.
Yet, even as the away-goals rule disappears from global soccer, it still managed to claim Miami as its casualty, eliminating them from competition and creating questions about those very decisions.
"Unfortunately, we conceded a goal from an unlucky play—there were a lot of things happening—and in the end, we were eliminated," manager Javier Mascherano told reporters postmatch, having chosen his preferred lineup after rotating 10 players for the previous MLS match, a goalless draw against Charlotte FC.
"The truth is, I have nothing to reproach the players for. They gave everything, and the one responsible for this elimination is me."
Offseason Moves In Doubt
While Mascherano can accept responsibility himself, Miami's offseason signings were not yet ready when required.
Gérman Berterame, who cost the club $15 million largely due to his Concacaf excellence with CF Monterrey, failed to find the net in his seventh appearance across all competitions. Fullback Sergio Reguilón departed the game in the 39th minute after clutching his hamstring to maintain the pattern of an already injury-plagued Miami stint which only started in the summer.
At the back, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair struggled to distribute in the chaotic defense, where three Miami players interfered with their own keeper, resulting in Espinoza's goal.
CRISTIAN ESPINOZA FINDS THE EQUALIZER‼️
As it stands, Inter Miami would be sent home and @NashvilleSC would be on their way to the next round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup 👀 pic.twitter.com/vV59Nfz8EC
Rodrigo De Paul, whom the club invested a record $17 million on, failed to perform across the two legs. Nashville's attack of Espinoza, Hany Mukhtar, Warren Madrigal and Sam Surridge overwhelmed De Paul's partnership with Yannick Bright in defensive midfield.
When the Herons said farewell to the retiring Spanish legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba after MLS Cup, they sought to replace them with players that could capture the Champions Cup—the same applies for filling the striker gap with Berterame up front.
None of the acquisitions have succeeded so far, creating a grim outlook of what might come, especially after the most significant setback in club history.
"We had the hope of being able to advance in the competition, in what was a very even tie," Mascherano said. "Today we took the lead and had some chances... but the match was clearly still in danger because it was very evenly contested against a strong opponent."
Messi and Miami's MLS Motivation
Leaving the field in clear disappointment, Wednesday's defeat marked just the seventh time that Messi had been knocked out of continental competition in the round of 16 and first since 2022–23, his final season in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain.
Since joining MLS, he has been the driving force behind Miami's world-conquering philosophy. Yet it would be understandable for motivation to decline after winning everything available in MLS, including MLS Cup, Leagues Cup, the Supporters' Shield, Golden Boot and two MLS MVP Awards.
The remainder of the team's desire could diminish as well. The approaching World Cup will be at the center of thoughts, with Messi, De Paul, Berterame, St. Clair and potentially others set to participate in soccer's premier event. It will be all they consider as they join national teams for the March friendlies.
Mascherano said the club will need to "swallow their anger" and "then bounce back for what we have to face in the future, which is a lot." He needs his team to fight at every moment. Yet, how much buy-in will there be, even as they chase new titles?
And just how much longer could this entire spectacle continue? Messi, 38, isn't getting any younger, and the offseason signings, despite enormous fees, haven't performed well.
Only time will tell, but Miami aren't just beatable—they're nowhere near MLS's best, and Wednesday's result will stir further concerns.