Inter Miami star Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring his 900th career goal during the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 Second Leg match against Nashville SC at Chase Stadium on March 18, 2026, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US [Carmen Mandato/Getty Images via AFP]By ReutersPublished On 19 Mar 202619 Mar 2026Cristian Espinoza fired home the second-half goal that sent Nashville SC to the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals, knocking out Inter Miami on a milestone night for Argentinian star Lionel Messi.
The match ended 1-1 on Wednesday night in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, leaving the teams level 1-1 in the two-game, total-goal match. Nashville advanced on the away-goals tiebreaker.
Messi opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his 900th career goal for club and country, but reigning MLS Cup champion Miami couldn’t find the net again.
Nashville advance to meet either the Philadelphia Union or Mexico’s Club America in the quarterfinals.
The hosts got the necessary goal after a wild sequence in front of the Miami goal. Alex Muyl’s shot was blocked but bounced into the air and headed towards the goal line, where Herons goalkeeper Dayne St Clair punched it away amid traffic. The rebound fell to an unmarked Espinoza, who fired a right-footed shot inside the far post.
Early on, Sergio Reguilon set up Messi for a 10-yard shot that crept between the legs of a Nashville defender on its way into the net.
Messi stands second in football history in career goals, behind only Portugal and Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 965.
A sixth-minute goal from Rodrigo Dourado helped Liga MX side Club America hold off Philadelphia’s comeback attempt in Mexico City to advance to the quarterfinals.
After Club America won the opening leg 1-0 last Tuesday in Philadelphia, Dourado scored his first goal for the side after a January transfer on a header off a line-drive free kick from Raphael Veiga.
The Union got a goal back on a penalty kick from Jesus Bueno in the 49th minute on a foul committed by Alex Zendejas on Frankie Westfield. But Philadelphia didn’t put a single shot on goal the remainder of the match, missing on three attempts and getting another blocked.
Andrew Rick made two first-half saves to give the Union a comeback opportunity they couldn’t convert.
