Nashville Ties Inter Miami 1-1, Ousts Messi's Club from CONCACAF Champions Cup

Cristian Espinoza's late goal secures Nashville's advancement despite Lionel Messi's milestone strike.

Mar. 19, 2026 at 1:05am

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Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal, but Nashville SC's Cristian Espinoza equalized late to earn a 1-1 draw and eliminate the reigning MLS champions from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The result on aggregate sees Nashville advance to the quarterfinals, denying Inter Miami's bid for another trophy.

Why it matters

Messi's milestone goal was not enough to propel Inter Miami to victory, as Nashville's resilience and late heroics saw them advance in the regional tournament. This result is a setback for Inter Miami, who were hoping to add the CONCACAF Champions Cup to their MLS Cup triumph last season.

The details

Messi opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a trademark left-footed finish to reach the 900-goal milestone in his illustrious career. However, Nashville equalized in the 74th minute through Espinoza, who pounced on a loose ball after Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair failed to fully clear a shot. The away goals rule meant Nashville's 1-1 draw on the night was enough to see them advance to the quarterfinals, denying Inter Miami's bid for another trophy.

  • Messi scored his 900th career goal in the 7th minute.
  • Espinoza scored the equalizer for Nashville in the 74th minute.

The players

Lionel Messi

Inter Miami forward and Argentinian superstar who scored his 900th career goal in the match.

Cristian Espinoza

Nashville SC player who scored the late equalizing goal to secure his team's advancement.

Dayne St. Clair

Inter Miami goalkeeper who was unable to fully clear the shot that led to Nashville's equalizing goal.

Gonzalo Luján

Inter Miami defender whose block led to the rebound that Espinoza scored on.

Alex Muyl

Nashville SC player whose shot was blocked and led to the sequence that resulted in the equalizing goal.

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What they’re saying

“900 goals is such an incredible milestone. Messi is a true legend of the game.”

— Tim Reynolds, Sports Writer

What’s next

Nashville SC will now advance to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they will face the winner of the matchup between Club América and Deportivo Toluca.

The takeaway

Despite Lionel Messi's milestone goal, Nashville SC's resilience and late heroics saw them eliminate the reigning MLS champions Inter Miami from the CONCACAF Champions Cup. This result is a setback for Inter Miami, who were hoping to add another trophy to their collection, but a triumph for Nashville as they continue their run in the regional tournament.