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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)<\/p>\n
Chris Carter<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Finally, after nine road trips covering 23,260 miles, Inter Miami will play its first home game of the year on Wednesday, and it is a big one.<\/p>\n
Lionel Messi and his teammates face Nashville SC in the second and decisive leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 following a scoreless tie in the first leg last week in Nashville.<\/p>\n
The game will be played in Fort Lauderdale at Inter Miami Stadium (formerly Chase Stadium), as Nu Stadium at Miami Freedom Park is not scheduled to open until April 4. The home crowd may get to see Messi reach a career milestone, as he is one goal shy of No. 900.<\/p>\n
Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will be rested after skipping the league road game at Charlotte FC over the weekend, which also ended in a scoreless tie.<\/p>\n
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano explained on Tuesday that he left Messi and De Paul at home to give them a breather after so many road games in a row and took it into account that Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte has artificial turf.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a decision we made in conjunction with them, it was on a synthetic field, which is always more complicated, so we preferred for them to avoid the trip after they have been traveling so much for the past month and a half,\u201d Mascherano said. \u201cWe also rested some players who did travel but played limited minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mascherano and his players welcome a chance to play in front of a home crowd on Wednesday (7 p.m., FS1).<\/p>\n
\u201cPlaying in our stadium with our fans will be an advantage for us,\u201d Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said. \u201cWe know we are stronger at home. I urge the fans to come because it is a very important match and we need their support to advance in this series, which is so even, not just in the score but the level at which both teams are playing right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
It will be the 21st time the clubs face each other since they debuted in MLS in 2020. They are each other\u2019s most familiar foe. It is the ninth time they meet in a knockout tournament.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Nashville clashes usually bring out the best in Messi, who has scored 15 goals in their 11 meetings, the most against any opponent since he joined the league in the summer of 2023. But the Argentine icon was held scoreless last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Nashville was also held scoreless, largely due to several spectacular saves by Dayne St. Clair, the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, who joined Inter Miami this season. It took him some time to get acclimated to his new team after eight years with Minnesota United.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely feel more comfortable than the beginning; I wish I had adapted a little quicker than I did, but now I feel comfortable and having a performance like that in the first leg\u2026keeping a clean sheet [Wednesday] will be a big priority for us, so I\u2019m feeling ready and up for the challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan said he relishes the challenge of facing Inter Miami.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve played each other six of the last 10 games if you go back to last year, or something like that, so, I\u2019m sure they\u2019re sick of watching video of us,\u201d Callaghan said. \u201cBut we have great respect for them. When we have to prepare for them, whether that\u2019s regular season games, playoff games, now Concacaf Champions Cup, doing that work and competing makes us better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Containing Messi and Miami\u2019s other top attackers is obviously a top priority, Callaghan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re a highly talented team that can score; so, first and foremost is making sure we keep their chances limited and trying to keep them off the scoreboard the best we can,\u201d he said. \u201cAlso, we have to be a little more clinical, better decision making. When you play really good teams, you\u2019ve got to seize your moments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mascherano admits he deserved red card<\/p>\n
Mascherano, candid as always, said on Tuesday that he deserved the red card he received in the closing minutes of the game at Charlotte. He admitted that he let his emotions get the best of him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the first yellow came out, I was giving a gesture to one of my players, I wasn\u2019t protesting anything to the referee,\u201d he explained. \u201cClearly, I was wrong. I was outside the technical area. Oftentimes, matches are going at 1,000 miles per hour. I do not justify my behavior. When I\u2019m wrong, I\u2019m the first to admit it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team was playing very well, I didn\u2019t want the game to escape us, especially with so many players making their debuts, and I was trying to help. I made a mistake. I hope it won\u2019t happen again, but surely it will because of [how passionate] I am about football. The rest [taunting the Charlotte fans as he exited] is a bit of folklore. People were insulting me, we Argentines like that, but with respect for everything. In the end, we are people. Blood runs through our veins, but if there\u2019s anyone who shouldn\u2019t lose control it\u2019s me. How can you ask players to not control if you\u2019re the first to lose it?\u201d<\/p>\n
This story was originally published March 17, 2026 at 3:45 PM.<\/p>\n