Rout! Inter Miami collapse against Nashville as Messi misses penalty. VIDEO

An evening that was supposed to bring Inter Miami closer to the summit turned into a real nightmare.

Details: Inter Miami suffered a crushing defeat in the marquee MLS fixture of the round. The Florida side lost 1-4 away to Nashville, missing the chance to leapfrog their rivals in the race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

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The hosts took the lead as early as the 16th minute: Elias Saad delivered a cross, and Andy Najar headed the ball into the net. Almost immediately, Inter Miami had a golden opportunity to equalize—after a foul on Luis Suárez, the referee pointed to the spot. Lionel Messi stepped up, but the Argentinian couldn't beat the goalkeeper.

Just before the break, the visitors did manage to level the score. Messi picked out Telasco Segovia with a pass, and he netted Inter Miami's only goal of the match. But after halftime, things spiraled into disaster for the Floridians. By the 48th minute, Hany Mukhtar had restored Nashville's lead, and soon after Sam Surridge finished off a move in spectacular fashion with a backheel—3-1.

Mukhtar ultimately settled all questions about the winner in the 62nd minute. The forward capitalized on a glaring mistake by goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo, bagging a brace and sealing the final score at 4-1. The win allowed Nashville to strengthen their grip on the top spot, while Inter Miami not only missed their chance to go first but also saw their seven-match unbeaten run in MLS snapped.

It was a particularly rough night for Messi. In addition to his missed penalty, the Argentinian picked up a yellow card for his emotional reaction to one of the referee's decisions. To make matters worse, this was his third consecutive penalty miss.

Reminder: The stadium gave him a standing ovation! Messi returns after his father's death, but the match ends in disappointment.