Messi’s missed penalty kick a lowlight in shutout loss to Charlotte FC
Inter Miami had waited all season to be awarded a penalty kick in MLS play and finally got one on Saturday night.
But Lionel Messi missed the ensuing attempt — and what followed was an ugly defeat that pushed the team further down the standings.
Messi’s failed penalty came with the game still scoreless, and set the tone for a 3-0 road loss to red-hot Charlotte FC that included an Idan Toklomati hat trick and Tomas “Toto” Aviles ejection at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The lopsided affair dropped Inter Miami into seventh place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points (13-7-6), though the Herons still have three games in hand. Charlotte FC, meanwhile, climbed to third and extended its regular-season winning streak to a historic nine games.
“We have to understand that a game lasts 90 minutes, and that even if an opponent scores on us there is going to be sufficient time left to turn it around,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said in Spanish. “We cannot go crazy, and I think that is what concerns me most.
“Too many times we disorganize ourselves too early, and that gives the opponents opportunities. I am responsible for that, and clearly I have to work much more on making it clear that a game lasts 90 minutes.”
Messi had a golden opportunity to put the South Florida side ahead with a 32nd-minute penalty kick, but his clipped effort to the left-center was stopped easily by Charlotte FC goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina.
The Croatian netminder — who starts ahead of former Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender — opted to react instead of predict en route to nabbing Messi’s weak lofted shot.
Charlotte FC scored the winner two minutes after the Messi miss and never looked back, but Mascherano avoided citing the penalty kick as a pivotal moment in the match during his postgame news conference.
“If there is something we cannot be unfair about or criticize or hold against, it is the penalty,” said Mascherano. “These are just in-game situations. Clearly, if there is someone who has helped us win throughout the whole season, it is Leo.
“He had that unfortunate play.”
The long-awaited penalty — Inter Miami’s first in MLS action this season — was awarded via Video Review after Charlotte midfielder Djibril Diani attempted a challenge on Messi and brought the Argentine down amid light contact.
Head referee Sergii Boiko initially waved play on, but overturned his call after going to the monitor for a second look.
It ultimately mattered little for an Inter Miami side playing without starting striker Luis Suarez, who was serving the first of a three-game suspension for spitting at a Seattle Sounders staff member in the Leagues Cup final on Aug. 31.
Charlotte FC went ahead in the 34th minute via a quick attack down the Herons’ left side that ended with Kerwin Vargas whipping in a low cross for Toklomati to finish at the back post.
“It was one of those nights,” Inter Miami defender Ian Fray said. “The ball just did not bounce our way.”
Toklomati doubled the lead in the 47th minute when Inter Miami’s defense was carved open with incisive passing. Wilfried Zaha hit a quality through ball down the left to a streaking Brandt Bronico, who recognized the space before delivering a sharp cutback to Toklomati for another one-timed strike.
The Israeli completed his hat trick from the penalty spot in the 84th minute after Inter Miami midfielder Sergio Busquets was called for a foul on Zaha when attempting a slide tackle in the 18-yard box.
“Clearly this result concerns me,” Mascherano said. “We had the hopes of playing a good game, of picking up the three points, of getting back to winning ways so as to regain confidence, and to take a step forward for what is to come.
“But this is what we have to live with. Unfortunately, it was not the night we wanted.”
A sprinting Allende had a chance to inject some life into Inter Miami earlier in the second half, but his powerful shot in the 72nd minute lacked accuracy and allowed for a diving Kahlina to make a kick save.
Hopes of a comeback took a significant blow seven minutes later when Inter Miami was reduced to 10 men.
Getting a start as part of the centerback carousel approach that has been adopted for much of the year, Aviles was sent off with a second yellow card for a jersey tug at midfield while competing for an aerial ball played over the top. The Argentine defender had previously been cautioned in the 67th minute.
“We had a couple of chances to try and get back into the game, but we could not put them away,” Mascherano said. “Clearly, the ejection practically ended the game.”
Inter Miami will quickly shift focus. A high-profile rematch of that infamous Leagues Cup final that ended in a brawl awaits on Tuesday night when the Herons host the Sounders at Chase Stadium.
This story was originally published September 13, 2025 at 10:47 PM.