Lionel Messi misses third straight penalty as Inter Miami suffer heavy defeat
Lionel Messi missed a penalty for Inter Miami in a 4-1 loss to Nashville SC, marking his third consecutive failure from the spot.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0 / Author: sdhansay
Inter Miami endured a difficult evening at Geodis Park, falling to a 4-1 defeat against Nashville SC. The match proved to be a challenging outing for Lionel Messi, who is currently navigating an uncharacteristic struggle from the penalty spot.
With Miami trailing 1-0 in the 23rd minute, Messi had an opportunity to equalize from the spot, but his low strike was parried by Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake. This marks the first time since 2014 that the forward has missed three consecutive penalties across all competitions.
Despite an equalizer from Telasco Segovia, Nashville dominated the second half. A brace from Hany Mukhtar and a back-heeled finish from Sam Surridge extended the hosts' lead, while a late error by Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo allowed Mukhtar to seal the scoreline.
"A defeat like this won't stop us; we keep growing. We'll rest today and start working toward our goals again tomorrow," said head coach Guillermo Hoyos.
The match was emotionally charged, as it marked Messi's first start following the passing of his father, Jorge Messi. Head coach Guillermo Hoyos insisted that the heavy loss would not derail the squad's development and acknowledged the significant emotional toll the team faced during the match.