Lionel Messi vs Nashville | Crazy Goal, Assist & Performance! 🐐🔥 | 12/09/2026

There is no MLS team that Lionel Messi has faced more than Nashville. 16 goals in 13 games and Miami needs. This is the 23rd meeting between these expansion siblings. The 15th of the Leo Messi era enter Miami and Nashville. Big time implications tonight. These teams know each other so well. Breit made up for it, got the ball back for Miami. Now here's Leo Messi. Trying to slide it forward to Segovia. It makes it to Segovia. The question I have is I think Sam Surge is in an offside position. I think when this ball is played, does the left foot of Ian Frey keep him on? It's got to be clear and obvious from the video evidence it was not in that moment. The goal is given. What a start for Nashville. Now Bertarame, can Miami respond? Ahead of Vancouver in the supporter shield standings. Here's Messi popping it. Bertarame! He got it wrong. Sent it wide. This is what has hurt Nashville in years past. Just playing against Miami and Messi is where the ball can pop loose. He's in these right spots. Messi threw into DePaul and gets it back. Messi carrying forward. Still Messi dispossessed. Corcoran and Wheel both there for Nashville. Ian Frey now. Messi pops it over to Suarez. Suarez looking back to Messi and he hits it behind him. Here was a good opportunity for Miami. Suarez does a good job of flow. I think this ball to the near post for Bertarame may have been the better decision. You can even see the shot, a goal, of course, the ideal finish. But a corner, a goal kick. Hitting it first time. Miami did a good job of sniffing that out. Nashville taking the early 1-0 lead. And now the favorites in this super important game. One versus two in the east. Messi cutting. Messi hitting. Schlocky to save. Well, the one thing they're fighting against is this pocket. Right where Messi picks up this pass from Rodrigo DePaul. And it is four Nashville defenders in front of Messi. Messi sends this corner to near post. It's in. It's a little thing, but I've always been a believer. When you're defending the near post, start deep so when the ball is coming in front of you, you can come out versus running back to your own goal. This is extremely difficult. DePaul trying to get Frey behind Baker Whiting. Frey's able to leave it for Suarez. Over to Messi. Rodrigo DePaul. Leo Messi. Shot was blocked. Another corner for Miami. 20 yards out, and Messi's got the ball in his left foot. How many nightmares have Nashville fans had about that time? It's crazy to think Miami's only won four of 11 games in this building, isn't it? It is. 58% possession for Inter-Miami. Had more of the ball for the majority of this game. Now here's Ian Frey. And they've been fantastic away from here. They've eight wins on the road, the most of any team in MLS. Well, even Messi's looking at Caicedo just saying, just relax, we don't need the final ball in that manner. You can recycle possession and bring it around. The player comparison is presented by Celsius, pure passion. For Miami, it's been about building and possession. Messi and Divertirame gets it back. Goes down. Miami free kick upcoming. Messi's floating all over many of these. About 35 yards away. Messi will just clip this one in. It's a little too far for Caicedo. Casemiro was on the back post as well. The idea was just trying to float it to the back post so Caicedo could head it back across the Nashville goal. The best defensive team in Major League Soccer. Just 19 goals allowed in 24 games entering today. It's now 20 and 25. Sokovia thought about a back heel, fakes it. Instead, tried to slide it through for Suarez. Mukhtar leaves it. Espinosa is blocked. Baker whiting. Miss Hinson. Miami might be able to come in transition. Messi forward to Suarez. Will Legge from behind took it away clean or did he? Frey leaves Messi. Getting away from Weil. Still Messi. Getting away from Corcoran maybe. Oh, he thought he was fouled. I mean, the initial look felt like Corcoran kind of grabbed him, didn't he, on the left shoulder. But on the other hand, Messi, that touch kind of got away from him a little bit. I mean, he pulls, he tucks the right shoulder. Absolutely. Allows Miami to regroup and win the ball back. Weil from behind. Again, it's clean. It's a little bit different, but Dane Sinclair doesn't love four players in the wall. You better make sure. Otherwise, you're pulling the ball out of the back of the net and someone's going to ask the question, why don't you have four in the wall? Really competitive and entertaining first half between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. And the own goal leveled the match, which has reached halftime. If Leo Messi, Luis Suarez, and Inter Miami can find a way to win this game. Six points with nine games left. The pressure goes on Nashville. But Nashville has more space. The longer you wait and the more deliberate you are, it allows Nashville to set in. Try to get Messi into space a little bit quicker like he is here. Messi broken up by Walegi. Out to Frey. Here's Rodrigo DePaul. Remember when they won MLS Cup last year in the playoffs. Segovia was coming off the bench. Here's Messi driving past Weil into DePaul. Makes its way to Bertarame, who lost it, and it's cleared away. Casemiro quickly. This is trouble for Nashville. Messi isolated with Walegi. Messi! Bertarame! You just can't play into the hands of Yannick Bright and Inter Miami. That ball from Palacios into Alex Weil, it's a difficult ball to handle. And if you lose possession, now Messi's 1-on-1. You've survived Lionel Messi and Inter Miami because you've had numbers behind the ball and not losing it in a bad spot. Here you do. And my word, 1-on-1. He's got everybody, but the goalpost beats. Should have been 2-1. Yazbek called for the foul. Close to a 17th. DePaul to Suarez. Messi. Rodrigo DePaul. Ian Frey drives it across. Schalke does really well. With the way the World Cup went for Matt Freeze, Matt Turner's a little bit older. You've got a full three and a half years to prep for the next World Cup. You've got World Cup qualifying. Frey stepping forward. Leaving it for Messi. Turning. Messi still. Over. He's gotten some looks today. He has. In spots that BJ Callihan and Nashville don't really want. And I agree with the manager of Nashville that he will lead him of DePaul and Segovia to be a little bit more aggressive going forward. Oh, DePaul gets it back for Messi. Leaves it. Messi! As good as it gets. You cannot allow this, man. More than one bite at the apple. Especially at top of the D. But how about this intuition between two World Cup players. Brilliant combination from DePaul to then the cut. And in a spot that has been killer. Nightmares for days for Nashville fans. League's Cup final. How many times. Messi. Left foot 20 yards out. It's 2-1. That is his 17th goal in 14 games against Nashville SC. Of DePaul. But for DePaul to lay it back. And for Messi to hit that. Brilliant. That is his 99th goal in all competitions for Inter-Miami. One away from a nice even 100. And one away from 20 this season. Which would make him. Though struggling to score goals. Give away from Nashville Suarez to Messi. Still somehow. Still Messi clipping a wide open for DeRoman. Why would he not hit it first time? He gave Palacios time to slide in. That's got to be hit first time. It has to be. The fact that Messi even twists and turns it gets out of this. Is remarkable. But the ball's clipped perfect. That's first time. Miami do well to win it back. Suarez wonderful. Sprays it right to Messi. Clips it around side as he fouled. He is. Free kick coming for Inter-Miami. Corcoran down in the wall. Messi sends it over. He's frustrated because he knew from that angle and distance. Messi. Still Messi. Oh what a ball. Oh my goodness. Caicedo just drives it across and out for a throw. Unreal. Again you cannot allow him to float. Nobody stops the ball from Nashville. So he will find the play. He'll find the pass. Suarez hits it right at the goalkeeper. Yet nobody from Nashville reacts. Except Messi. One crossbar. One post. Still 2-1 Miami. Been flat footed in key defensive moments. Uncharacteristically for the team that's been the best defensive team in all of MLS. Tag set the heavy touch. Messi a back heel to Suarez. Messi. Spinning away from Saad. Handing off to Bright. Sinclair right to Olegi. Oh Bertarame really good work to poke it to Suarez. Now Messi. Spinning away from Acosta. Tag set breaks it up. Messi wants a foul. It's not given. Galarza is open for Miami. Palacios defending Bertarame. Here is Leo Messi. Messi around Schalke. Palacios heads it over. Keeps Nashville in the game. And keeps Messi from his 100th goal for Inter-Miami. Credit to Nashville goalkeeper coming off his line in the manner that he did. Because he's not reckless. Otherwise it's a pen. But he comes up. Puts enough pressure on him. Gets a little bit of a touch. To slow down Leo Messi. I'm a little surprised. Nashville lacked the ideas to break down Miami. Here we go. Messi. Minimum four minutes of added time in the second half. Messi sliding it. Bertarame. Back towards Messi. Broken up well again by Palacios. And goes in. But tonight. Two posts. A crossbar. A clearance off its line. Nashville get a point on the road. What a match. In the Walmart Saturday showdown between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Nashville coming back to earn a point in added time. 2-2. The final. Sam Surich a brace. In the fourth minute. And in the 91st minute. And in between that, it was really mostly Miami. I mean, they'll feel like they could have put up a big number in this game.