Lionel Messi’s Blunder: Third Consecutive Missed Penalty. Inter Miami Humiliated
Lionel Messi’s penalty curse: The Argentine superstar missed his third consecutive penalty kick in the MLS match between Nashville and Inter Miami. The Florida team was routed 4-1, and “La Pulga” was the main villain, failing once again from the penalty spot.
This was Messi’s third consecutive miss; he had previously missed both of his penalties while playing for Argentina at the 2026 World Cup—one against Austria in the group stage and one against Egypt in the Round of 16. As for the MLS, this is Messi’s first missed penalty since September 2025.
Inter Miami lost 4-1, overwhelmed by goals from Najar, Mukhtar (a brace), and Sam Surridge. Messi, aside from the assist for Segovia’s meaningless goal, failed to make an impact and appeared very frustrated during the match. The former Barcelona player protested repeatedly to the referee and was even booked, while a goal of his was disallowed for offside in the second half. Messi was in the starting lineup for the first time since the passing of his father, Jorge.
After six league games without a loss, last season’s MLS Cup champions took the field knowing that a win would put them at the top of the Eastern Conference standings; instead, Nashville now holds a five-point lead, with 15 regular-season games still to play. Here’s what coach Guillermo Hoyos had to say after the loss: “A loss doesn’t make us lose sight of our goals; on the contrary, we’ll aim even higher, continue to grow, and develop the team.”
Messi’s father, Jorge, passed away on August 8 at the age of 68 in a hospital in Rosario, Argentina, where he had been hospitalized for some time due to a long-term illness. A pivotal figure in the champion’s life and career, Jorge had been his first agent, accompanying him from his youth days at Newell’s Old Boys through his big move to Barcelona, and later managing all commercial agreements during his subsequent transfers to PSG and Inter Miami, while always maintaining a low media profile.
