Lionel Messi cannot be stopped by man.
Teams in Spain and France learned this the hard way, as did Champions League contenders, CONMEBOL national teams, and an entire World Cup field in 2022. Everyone wants to stop the guy, everyone fails, it’s just how soccer works when he’s playing it.
So naturally the Leagues Cup final saw Messi and Inter Miami facing down a Nashville SC side that has been the preeminent defensive team in MLS for several years in a row. A loud crowd at Geodis Park was roaring more for the home team than for Messi. The hosts kept Miami from even one sight of goal in the first 20 minutes. It was going well!
Was.
One loose ball after a block in the Nashville area bounced closer to Messi than anyone else in the game. Messi had five Nashville defenders forming a barrier. Walker Zimmerman was stepping hard to him, a collision that — given their size disparity — would end in something other than Messi taking a shot.
But this is Messi, and the result was a goal that had everyone watching the game talking.
Inter Miami would go on to lift the Leagues Cup trophy, defeating Nashville on penalties after a 1-1 draw.