Messi Scores Goal No. 900 — Inter Miami vs Nashville SC Concacaf Champions Cup Second Leg Is Live Tonight
The most anticipated night in Inter Miami history just delivered its defining moment. Lionel Messi has scored career goal No. 900 — breaking the deadlock at Chase Stadium against Nashville SC in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. The match is live right now, with Inter Miami fighting to reach the quarterfinals in what is also the final game ever played at Chase Stadium.
Messi Scores Career Goal 900 Against Nashville SC Tonight
Lionel Messi has reached his 900th career goal, breaking the deadlock for Inter Miami against Nashville SC in the second leg of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The Argentine forward had been stuck on 899 since netting against DC United on March 7, and had a chance to reach the milestone in the first leg at GEODIS Park on March 11 but was denied by Nashville goalkeeper Brian Schwake.
With the goal, Messi becomes only the second player in history to score 900 official goals for club and country — a milestone so far achieved only by Cristiano Ronaldo. The moment arrived on the biggest possible stage, with the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal spot on the line.
What Was at Stake — Away Goals Rule and the Second Leg Scenarios
With the first leg ending 0-0 at GEODIS Park on March 11, everything was decided tonight at Chase Stadium. The Concacaf Champions Cup away goals rule meant Nashville SC held a critical structural advantage — any Nashville goal would force Inter Miami to score at least two to advance without extra time. A scoreless 90 minutes would push the tie to extra time and then penalties.
Winning the Concacaf Champions Cup is stated as Inter Miami's primary objective for the 2026 season, as the title grants the winner a spot in the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup. Miami's front office has made clear this is the one major trophy the club has not yet won.
First Leg Recap — Nashville Shut Out Messi at GEODIS Park
Nashville SC held Inter Miami to a 0-0 draw in the first leg on March 11 at GEODIS Park, shutting out the Herons for the first time in the series since August 30, 2023. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake recorded his fourth clean sheet of the season and remained unbeaten in his first 11 starts for Nashville.
In the first leg, Inter Miami generated just two shots and zero on target in the first half despite 64% possession. Mascherano blamed the result on the familiarity between the two clubs, saying both teams were thinking about how to disrupt the opponent's attack rather than impose their own game.
Messi Rested Against Charlotte — Fully Fit for Nashville Second Leg
Coach Javier Mascherano fully rotated the Inter Miami squad for the 0-0 draw at Charlotte FC on March 14, leaving Messi out of the squad entirely — a purely tactical decision to keep the Argentine sharp for tonight's decisive Concacaf Champions Cup clash. All signs pointed to Messi leading the attack at Chase Stadium, and the club confirmed he was fully fit and available.
Inter Miami's starting XI for the second leg featured Dayne St. Clair in goal; Facundo Mura, Gonzalo Luján, Micael, and Sergio Reguilón in defense; Tadeo Allende, Yannick Bright, Rodrigo De Paul, and Telasco Segovia in midfield; with Lionel Messi and German Berterame leading the attack.
Chase Stadium's Last Ever Game — A Historic Farewell Night
Tonight's Inter Miami vs Nashville SC Concacaf Champions Cup second leg is also the final match ever played at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale — a historic farewell as the club prepares to move to the newly built Miami Freedom Park stadium. Inter Miami's next MLS match, against New York City FC on March 22, will be played away at Yankee Stadium before the new venue opens.
The winner of the Nashville-Miami series will face Club América or the Philadelphia Union in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, with Club América having won the first leg of that tie 1-0 away in Chester, Pennsylvania, with the second leg held at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on March 18. With Messi now at 900 goals and the tie in the balance, the entire soccer world is watching Fort Lauderdale tonight.
