Lionel Messi’s 900th career goal, scored in a Concacaf Champions Cup match, provides a fleeting highlight for Inter Miami, but the team’s elimination on away goals and a season-long pattern of scoring struggles beyond their superstar underscore a critical vulnerability as they prepare for a high-profile MLS showdown with New York City FC.
The bitter taste of a Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 elimination on the away goals tiebreaker—following a 1-1 draw with Nashville SC—still lingers for Inter Miami. The March 18 exit, confirmed by USA TODAY, was partially offset by Lionel Messi’s historic 900th career goal, a feat documented by Yahoo Sports. That moment of individual brilliance now serves as a stark contrast to a team-wide scoring drought that threatens Miami’s MLS aspirations.
New manager Javier Mascherano, facing his first real crisis after replacing Gerardo Martino, addressed the disappointment head-on. “We can’t change what happened, and there’s no point in dwelling on it. Clearly, we’re still in the process of coming to terms with it and dealing with the disappointment of being eliminated,” Mascherano said in a March 21 training session, remarks carried by USA TODAY. “That’s soccer — it happens sometimes — but I think it’s up to us to prove that what happened the other day was just a fluke. And well, the best way to prove it is to focus on the league now.”
That focus immediately turns to New York City FC and a Sunday, March 22 clash at Yankee Stadium. The matchup carries extra weight given their recent history: Inter Miami trounced NYCFC 5-1 in the 2025 Eastern Conference final. But Miami’s current form raises alarms. Across all competitions, Inter Miami sits at 2 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss, with only 7 total goals scored. Messi accounts for 4 of those—a remarkable individual ratio that reveals a team-wide drought.
The supporting cast’s silence is deafening. Beyond Messi, only Mateo Silvetti, Telasco Segovia, and Rodrigo De Paul—the latter a 2022 World Cup winner with Messi—have scored this season. High-profile acquisitions Germán Berterame (joined for $15 million from CF Monterrey) and Tadeo Allende (last season’s MLS record-setter with 9 goals during the title run) remain goalless. Even Luis Suárez, the Uruguayan star, has yet to score in limited action. Mascherano didn’t mince words: “Beyond having Leo — who always delivers an incredible number of goals, whether by scoring them himself or providing assists — we need the rest of the team to start scoring and contributing to those numbers as well. This is a time when we have to work much harder on that aspect, and we’re doing just that.”
Complicating matters, Inter Miami will be without several key pieces against NYCFC. Rodrigo De Paul (muscle contusion), defenders Maxi Falcon (knee) and Sergio Reguilón (knee) are all out, per the original report. Their absence进一步 strains a defense already forced to compensate for sporadic offense.
Messi’s immediate future includes a double-duty challenge. After the NYCFC match, he will join the Argentine national team for friendlies against Mauritania (March 27) and Zambia (March 31) before returning to face Austin FC on April 4. This schedule intensifies questions about load management for a 38-year-old carrying his club’s offensive burden.
Messi’s Upcoming Schedule: Inter Miami and Argentina
March 22: New York City FC vs. Inter Miami, 1 p.m. ET
March 27: Argentina vs. Mauritania, 6:15 p.m. ET
March 31: Argentina vs. Zambia, 6:15 p.m. ET
April 4: Inter Miami vs. Austin FC, 7:30 p.m. ET
For Inter Miami, the path forward requires a collective offensive awakening. Messi’s 900th goal is a personal milestone for the ages, but it cannot single-handedly propel a team through a grueling MLS season and beyond. The response against NYCFC will signal whether this squad can evolve from a Messi-dependent project into a balanced contender. Anything less risks another tournament exit—and this time, no milestone can soften the blow.
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