Inter Miami’s continental dream was dashed on Wednesday night at Chase Stadium. Despite a promising start, Javier Mascherano’s team drew 1-1 with Nashville SC and were knocked out of the Concacaf Champions Cup in the round of 16, due to the away goals rule after the 0-0 draw in the first leg.
The match had been going in Inter Miami’s favor, with Messi putting them ahead, however, Nashville equalized and held on until the 90th minute to secure an unexpected place in the next phase of the tournament.
Mascherano’s self-criticism after Inter Miami elimination
The team led by Javier Mascherano dominated much of the match, but failed to put it to bed. In the 74th minute, Argentina’s Cristian Espinoza pounced on a loose ball in the area to score the equalizer, a blow from which the Florida side could not recover despite the late introduction of Luis Suarez.
At the end of the match, a visibly affected Mascherano faced the media and took the blame for the result:
“The truth is that I have nothing to reproach the players for. They gave everything; the only one responsible for this elimination is me,” said the Argentine coach.
Inter Miami says goodbye to its main objective
For Inter Miami, this tournament was the absolute priority of the 2026 season, after a strong investment in figures such as Rodrigo De Paul and German Berterame. Mascherano analyzed the parity of the match and the frustration of being left out in such a tight manner.
We were hoping to be able to progress in the competition, in what was a very, very close tie… The game was clearly still in the balance because it was very close against a strong opponent
With this result, Nashville SC advances to the quarter-finals, where it will face Club America. Inter Miami, meanwhile, will have to lick its wounds and concentrate all its energies on MLS, looking to repeat the glory achieved in 2025.
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