Messi misses a penalty, Inter Miami suffers a crushing 1-4 defeat in MLS.

Lionel Messi couldn't score from the penalty kick, and the shaky defending led to Inter Miami's devastating 1-4 defeat against Nashville in MLS 2026.

On the morning of August 16 (Vietnam time), Inter Miami traveled to Nashville's GEODIS Park for a match in the 19th round of the 2026 MLS season. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez started together up front, with notable names like Rodrigo De Paul and Casemiro behind them.

Nashville started aggressively and kept pressure on Rocco Rios Novo's goal. After missing a few chances, the hosts opened the scoring in the 17th minute. From a build-up on the flank, Andy Najar positioned himself well and finished past the Inter Miami goalkeeper.

The visitors had a golden opportunity to level the game just six minutes later. The referee awarded Inter Miami a penalty, and Messi stepped up to take it. However, the Argentine superstar sent the ball wide of the post, wasting the chance to equalize.

Nonetheless, Inter Miami managed to find the net in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Telasco Segovia handled the ball neatly inside the box and fired into the far corner, bringing the match level at 1-1 before halftime.

The turning point came early in the second half. In the 49th minute, Hany Mukhtar restored Nashville's lead. Inter Miami's defense continued to show gaps and conceded a third goal in the 56th minute when Sam Surridge capitalized on an opportunity to make it 3-1.

Not stopping there, in the 63rd minute Mukhtar completed his brace, capping Nashville's stunning surge with three goals in just 14 minutes. Inter Miami had 55% possession and took a total of 12 shots, but only four were on target. Messi was the most frequent shooter for the visitors, trying his luck eight times, yet he failed to score.

In the end, Inter Miami suffered a heavy 1-4 defeat to Nashville. This result allowed the home side at GEODIS Park to consolidate their top spot in the Eastern Conference, while also widening the gap with Inter Miami in the race for the lead.