If only the final match in Fort Lauderdale had been MLS Cup 2025. Maybe then, Inter Miami and their fans would have had the fondest of farewells to their inaugural, albeit temporary, MLS home.
With a sparse crowd on an unseasonably wet and cold South Florida night in midweek, Miami hit a new low in their Lionel Messi era, crashing out of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup in the round of 16. It marked their final game in Fort Lauderdale before moving to Miami at the new Nu Stadium in April.
While the Argentine netted his 900th career goal to open the scoring in Wednesday night’s second leg after a goalless draw last week, his Herons allowed Nashville SC’s Cristian Espinoza to score later on, pushing the 2025 U.S Open Cup champions through to the Champions Cup quarterfinal.
Messi and the titanic club that Miami has become, faltered at the earliest possible stage, losing to an opponent they had previously beaten 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 last time Miami played at Inter Miami Stadium was their 3–1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps in December to win MLS Cup. Co-owner Jorge Mas laid out the next step in his “Freedom to Dream” project 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 moment, continental domination defined their offseason.
Yet, even as the away-goals rule fades from global soccer, it still needed to make Miami its victim, kicking them out of contention and raising doubts about those very moves.
“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 opted for his top-choice lineup after rotating 10 players for the previous MLS match, a scoreless 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 take the blame himself, Miami’s offseason acquisitions were not yet up to speed when needed.
Gérman Berterame, who cost the club $15 million thanks in no small part to his Concacaf prowess with CF Monterrey, failed to score in his seventh match across all competitions. Fullback Sergio Reguilón left the game in the 39th minute after grabbing his hamstring to continue the trend of an already injury-riddled Miami career which only began in the summer.
At the back, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair struggled to distribute in the disorganized defense, where three Miami players interfered with their own goalkeeper, leading to Espinoza’s goal.
CRISTIAN ESPINOZA FINDS THE EQUALIZER‼️
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 19, 2026
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 spent a record $17 million on, failed to deliver across the two legs. Nashville’s attack of Espinoza, Hany Mukhtar, Warren Madrigal and Sam Surridge overran De Paul’s partnership with Yannick Bright in defensive midfield.
When the Herons bid adieu to the retiring Spanish legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba after MLS Cup, they looked to replace them with players that could win the Champions Cup—the same goes for filling the striker void with Berterame up top.
None of the signings have paid off so far, painting a dire picture of what could be to come, especially after the most significant disappointment 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
Stepping off the pitch in evident frustration, Wednesday’s loss marked just the seventh time that Messi had fallen out of continental competition in the round of 16 and first since 2022–23, his final season in Europe with Paris Saint-Germain.
Since arriving in MLS, he has been the leading force behind Miami’s world-beating mantra. Yet it would be natural for motivation to wane after winning everything there is to win in MLS, including MLS Cup, Leagues Cup, the Supporters’ Shield, Golden Boot and two MLS MVP Awards.
The rest of the team’s hunger could dwindle as well. The looming World Cup will be at the forefront of minds, with Messi, De Paul, Berterame, St. Clair and potentially others set to take the stage at soccer’s greatest event. It will be all they think about 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 whole show last? Messi, 38, isn’t getting any younger, and the offseason signings, despite massive 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.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Big Questions Facing Lionel Messi, Inter Miami After Champions Cup Disaster.
