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    Lionel Messi misses 3rd consecutive penalty attempt as Inter Miami slump to 4-1 loss against Nashville

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    Lionel Messi has missed his third consecutive penalty as Inter Miami suffered an emphatic 4-1 loss against Nashville on Saturday, August 15. The Herons suffered a crushing defeat at Geodis Park in Nashville, losing their third successive game in all competitions.

    Andy Najar opened the scoring for Nashville in the 17th minute, which was cancelled out by Telasco Segovia in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar scored twice for the hosts in the second half while Sam Surridge also found the back of the net with a cheeky backheel.

    Lionel Messi had the chance to equalize from the spot in the 23rd minute after Andy Najar’s opener. Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake stopped the Argentine’s shot and the rebound was put in by Sergio Reguilón, but it was disallowed after a VAR review.

    As per ESPN, this is the first time since 2014 that Messi has failed to convert three back-to-back penalties. The 39-year-old missed two spot kicks at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Austria and Egypt, respectively.

    This is the first time Lionel Messi has missed a penalty in the MLS since September 13, 2025. The Argentine superstar had a forgettable afternoon as he was also booked for protesting to the referee about a foul in the buildup to Sam Surridge’s goal.

    The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner was also denied by both posts in the stoppage time of the second half. When he eventually put the ball in, the goal was ruled out for offside.

    Following their defeat against Nashville, Inter Miami find themselves five points behind league leaders Nashville. Messi has scored 15 goals and provided nine assists in 20 appearances across competitions for the Herons this season.

    MLS icon Landon Dovovan opens up on Lionel Messi’s return with Inter Miami just four days after father’s death

    USMNT and MLS legend Landon Donovan criticized Inter Miami following their 3-2 defeat at the hands of Mexican side Leon in the Leagues Cup. He hailed Lionel Messi for his return to football just four days after his father’s death but lashed out at Inter Miami for their elimination from Leagues Cup. He said:

    “Simply not good enough for them. Sometimes there are questions in these tournaments, ‘Do the players really care? Do the clubs really care?’ They clearly cared. With the lineups they put out, they clearly cared, and they were up a goal twice in yesterday’s game. So, disappointing for them.”

    He added:

    “Obviously really good to see Messi back out on the field with everything that’s gone on with him this week, but disappointing for Inter Miami, and a team with that much talent and those aspirations, my guess is they’re going to be very disappointed with this result. So, bad result for Miami. Very, very good comeback twice by León. But Miami, [have] some questions to answer because they put a lot of eggs, obviously, into winning trophies, and this is another one that slipped by. So, interesting to see how they respond to all this.”

    Lionel Messi lost his father Jorge Messi to a chronic illness in Rosario, Argentina on August 8. He shocked many by returning to action for Inter Miami against Leon on Wednesday, August 12 but ended up on the losing side.