Key Highlights
- Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF share a history of competing against each other in significant matches.
- The teams have faced off multiple times since entering MLS in 2020, including playoffs and international competitions.
- Inter Miami won the Leagues Cup final in 2023 with Lionel Messi delivering his first trophy to the team.
- Nashville SC is looking to extend its season against Inter Miami CF in a win-or-go-home playoff match on Saturday.
Inter Miami and Nashville: A Rivalry Built on Shared History
In a weird way, Nashville SC and Inter Miami have a lot of shared history. Both teams entered Major League Soccer (MLS) in the same year, 2020, and their expansion drafts and roster building mechanisms were simultaneous.
The clubs’ approaches to the game differ. While Inter Miami was once seen as glamorous with Lionel Messi joining early on, Nashville SC took a more defensive-minded approach under B.J.
Callaghan’s leadership. Despite these differences, both teams have had success in their first six seasons, often competing against each other for key victories.
Key Matches Between the Teams
The teams have faced off multiple times since entering MLS, including in playoffs and international competitions. Their first playoff match was in 2020 when Nashville SC emerged victorious. In 2023, they played a U.S.
Open Cup round of 16 game where Inter Miami won, and then there was an electric Leagues Cup final that went to penalties.
Inter Miami triumphed with Messi delivering his first trophy to the team just a month after debuting in the competition. Nashville SC also faced Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup the following year, adding another chapter to their intertwined history.
Preparation and Expectations for the Playoff Match
The teams will face off again on Saturday in what could be a win-or-go-home playoff match. This is the fourth time they have played against each other in a row, with the final day of the regular season also featuring a Nashville victory.
“It does feel like there’s this yin and yang type of thing,” said Nashville SC midfielder Alex Muyl. “We keep matching up against Miami in these big moments. It’s interesting. …
The real rivalry grows in these moments in big games. There’s just history and high stakes between the teams, fate has put us in these positions to play really meaningful games against them.”
“I mean, Miami is not a new team to us,” added defender Jack Maher. “I don’t know in the history of MLS there’s ever been a team where you play a team four times in a row. We know just about every single person on their team, we have all the profiles.”
The Stakes for Inter Miami
Inter Miami has significant stakes in this match, especially for Lionel Messi. In 20 of his 21 previous professional seasons — and in all 20 uninterrupted by COVID-19 — Messi won at least one team trophy. In 14 of those 20 seasons, he won two or more.
Striker Sam Surridge (9) has given Nashville SC plenty to celebrate in 2025.
However, the team immediately got on a plane and started preparing for a weekend match a few days later in Montréal after lifting the U.S. Open Cup on October 1. There hasn’t been much time to bask in that celebration.
“I don’t know if any of us have really allowed the Open Cup to settle in yet as a team,” Maher said with a laugh. “That has not been talked about.”
Conclusion
Nashville SC is looking forward to this matchup, driven by their underdog mentality and hardworking ethos. The team expects to win every time they step on the field. Despite the repeated encounters, both teams continue to find meaning in their rivalry.
The upcoming match could be a defining moment for both clubs, especially with Messi’s trophy-less season hanging in the balance. This Saturday’s game promises to be another chapter in this intertwined history of Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF.
