Inter Miami Faces Must-Win Game 3 vs. Nashville

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face a must-win scenario in Game 3 of their Major League Soccer first-round playoff series against Nashville SC on Saturday at Chase Stadium, where a victory would advance them to the Eastern Conference semifinals amid a season defined by the Argentine star's individual dominance.

The series stands at 1-1 after Inter Miami's 3-1 home win in Game 1 and Nashville's 2-1 victory in Game 2 last Saturday. In the loss, Nashville took a 2-0 halftime lead with a penalty from Sam Surridge in the ninth minute and a goal by Josh Bauer in the 45th. Rodrigo De Paul assisted Messi's late strike in the 89th minute, pulling one back but not enough to force a comeback. The goal marked Messi's third in the playoffs and pushed his total across all competitions to 40 in the 2025 calendar year, a record surpassing Carlos Vela's previous mark of 38 in 2019.

Complicating matters for Inter Miami, forward Luis Suarez has been suspended for Game 3 by the MLS Disciplinary Committee following an off-ball incident in the 71st minute of Game 2, where he kicked at Nashville defender Andy Najar. The appeal was denied, leaving the team without its second-leading scorer, who tallied...