Nashville SC 4-1 Inter Miami — Messi returns and misses a penalty as Mukhtar's double settles the top-of-the-table clash [MLS 2026]

2026-08-17

Nashville

HOME

4-1

Miami

AWAY

Nashville: Andy Nájar 17' / Hany Mukhtar 49', 63' / Sam Surridge 56'

Miami: Telasco Segovia 45'

MLS: Nashville hosted Miami and came away with a 4-1 win.

The Eastern Conference summit meeting went emphatically to Nashville. Playing his first match since the passing of his father, Lionel Messi saw his penalty saved, and Miami's third straight defeat left them stuck in second place.

First place on the line — and Messi's first match since his father's passing

On August 15, GEODIS Park staged the game the Eastern Conference had been waiting for: league-leading Nashville SC against second-placed Inter Miami. For Lionel Messi it carried a weight far beyond the standings — it was his first appearance since his father, Jorge, passed away on August 8 at the age of 68. The captain started despite his loss, supported by a star-studded lineup featuring Casemiro, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez.

First half — Nájar heads Nashville in front, Messi's penalty saved

Nashville struck first. In the 17th minute Elias Saad's cross from the left found Andy Nájar at the far post, and the veteran headed in his first goal of the season. Miami were handed a golden chance to respond from the spot in the 23rd minute, but Brian Schwake read Messi's penalty perfectly and kept it out. Sergio Reguilón turned in the rebound, only for the goal to be chalked off for encroachment. It was Messi's third consecutive penalty miss. Miami still found an equalizer before the break: Telasco Segovia finished in the third minute of first-half stoppage time to make it 1-1.

Second half — Mukhtar's double and a Surridge backheel blow the game open

Four minutes after the restart, Saad turned provider again and Hany Mukhtar restored Nashville's lead. In the 56th minute Sam Surridge produced a clever backheel finish for his team-leading 12th goal of the season and a 3-1 cushion. Then came the moment that killed the game: in the 63rd minute Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo misjudged a goal kick and fell over, and Mukhtar collected the loose ball and rolled it into an empty net for 4-1.

Nashville stay top as Miami slump to a third straight loss

Now 13-4-2 with 43 points, Nashville tightened their grip on first place, with Mukhtar, Surridge and two-assist Saad underlining the depth of their attack. Miami, stuck on 38 points in second, have now lost three league games in a row. Between the fatigue of a run to the World Cup final and their captain's grief, this is a squad being tested — and the coming weeks will show whether they can hold together.