NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MARCH 11: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF is challenged by Warren Madrigal #41 and Matthew Corcoran #16 of Nashville SC during the CONCACAF Champions Cup 2026 match between Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF at GEODIS Park on March 11, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Chris Carter/Getty Images)
Chris Carter
Getty Images
Lionel Messi chased career goal No. 900 but was held scoreless in heavy rain Wednesday night at GEODIS Park as Inter Miami settled for a 0-0 tie against familiar foe Nashville SC in the opening leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 series.
The Argentine icon had scored 15 goals in 10 games against Nashville, the most against any MLS opponent since he joined MLS in the summer of 2023. But on this night, the yellow-clad opponents did a good job of holding him in check.
In fact, Miami likely would have lost the game if not for three big saves by Dayne St. Clair, a Canadian national team goalkeeper who joined Inter Miami this season after winning 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year with Minnesota United.
Two saves came within a four-minute span. St. Clair blocked Warren Madrigal’s shot in the 38th minute. Four minute later, Sam Surridge blasted a clear chance on net at the top of the box. St. Clair leaped in the air and knocked the ball over the crossbar to keep the game scoreless at intermission.
St. Clair’s best save came at the 65-minute mark after a great corner kick delivery from Cristian Madrigal to the head of Reed Baker-Whiting, who redirected the ball toward the goal, but an alert St. Clair, showing the reflexes that earned him the top MLS honors, deflected the shot over the crossbar.
It was the 20th time the teams faced each other since they debuted in MLS in 2020 and the eighth time they met in a knockout tournament.
Miami and Nashville have played in MLS regular season games, playoff games, the U.S. Open Cup, the Leagues Cup and the Champions Cup. Inter Miami holds the edge in the series with nine wins. Nashville has won five times, and the teams tied the other six.
Last season, Inter Miami won four of five against Nashville, including a 4-0 rout that advanced the team to the knockout round of the MLS playoffs for the first time in club history.
Argentine teammates Messi and Tadeo Allende each had a brace in that game.
Allende, a star of Miami’s MLS Cup championship run, returned to the starting lineup Wednesday night in place of countryman Mateo Silvetti, who started Miami’s 2-1 win at D.C. United over the weekend.
The rest of the Miami Starting XI included St. Clair, right back Facundo Mura, center back Maxi Falcon, center back Micael, left back Noah Allen, midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, midfielder Yannick Bright, midfielder Telasco Segovia, forward German Berterame and Messi.
Falcon left the game in the fifth minute with an apparent knee injury and was replaced by Gonzalo Lujan, who had played limited minutes the first three games. Mascherano went to his bench in the 72nd minute, replacing Segovia with Silvetti and Mura with Ian Fray.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said his players would be motivated to help Messi match Ronaldo’s milestone: “Hopefully we can help him as a team to reach 900 [Wednesday] or even surpass it. It will mean that we played a good game, that we were able to score away from home, which is very important in this competition, and that it will give us the chance to decide the matchup here at home with our fans.”
The return leg of the series is March 18 at 7 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale, the last match Inter Miami will play at its old stadium before the opening of Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park April 4, where Miami will face Austin FC in a league game.
In the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup, the away goals rule is used as the first tiebreaker in the two-legged series. If the aggregate score is tied after the second leg, the team with the higher number of away goals scored during regulation time in both matches advances.
Mascherano expected Nashville players and their fans to be highly motivated to win at home against their nemesis.
“It’s a tough, difficult game, as always when we play in Nashville. We know their fans will be putting on the pressure, and above all, we have to keep in mind that they’re a team with blood in their eyes,” Mascherano said Tuesday.
“When you face a rival that we’ve fortunately eliminated and that helped us win the championship last year, and in previous seasons the club has even won finals against them, it’s clear that they’re going to want their revenge.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 8:22 PM.
Miami Herald
Miami Herald sportswriter Michelle Kaufman has covered 14 Olympics, six World Cups, Wimbledon, U.S. Open, NCAA Basketball Tournaments, NBA Playoffs, Super Bowls and has been the soccer writer and University of Miami basketball beat writer for 25 years. She was born in Frederick, Md., and grew up in Miami.