Inter Miami were knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup despite Lionel Messi reaching a historic milestone in a 1-1 draw with Nashville SC.
The result saw Inter Miami eliminated on away goals after the first leg ended 0-0, with Nashville progressing thanks to a crucial second-half strike.
Messi gave Inter Miami an early lead, scoring his 900th career goal within the opening 10 minutes.
The Argentine forward becomes only the second men’s player in history to reach the mark, joining Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, Nashville responded through Cristian Espinoza, whose goal midway through the second half levelled the match and ultimately decided the tie. Inter Miami were unable to find a winner in the closing stages.
After the match, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said: “Clearly, it is a very sad night, full of disappointment. We had high hopes of advancing in the competition — a tie that was very evenly matched — and today we took the lead on the scoreboard.”
“We had several chances to score another goal or two, especially in the first half. Well, the match was clearly in jeopardy, as it was a very tight contest against a formidable opponent.”
“Regrettably, we conceded a goal following a somewhat unfortunate sequence of events; things happen, and we ended up getting knocked out. The reality is that I have absolutely nothing to reproach the players for,” he said.
“They gave their absolute maximum and did everything humanly possible; ultimately, the person truly responsible for this elimination is me.”
