Legendary soccer star Lionel Messi was the main attraction in Los Angeles late Wednesday night, but it was an up-and-coming striker who stole the spotlight and handed Inter Miami its first defeat of 2025.
Los Angeles FC’s Nathan Ordaz, a 21-year-old homegrown talent, scored a goal in the 57th minute to help LAFC beat Messi and Inter Miami in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium.
Messi was unable to score and deliver a highlight moment for Inter Miami, which saw a seven-game win streak — and a nine-match unbeaten streak to begin the 2025 season — end.
Messi missed two free kick opportunities in the first half and another in the final minute of the match, appearing to show some rust in his second game back from a strained left adductor. He started and played the entire game for the first time since he sustained the recurring injury strain against Atlanta United on March 16.
Messi also missed shots toward the net in the 79th and 86th minutes, facing a familiar foe in LAFC’s Hugo Lloris — the French goalie on the losing end to Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
While Messi was the star attraction, Ordaz proved to be main difference with his second-half goal. Ordaz remained in the game after avoiding a red card in the first half following a brief kerfuffle with Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcón in the 27th minute.
“It’s a red card here, in China and on the moon,” said first-year Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, Messi’s former teammate with Barcelona and Argentina, after losing for the first time in his career after 10 games.
Both teams will meet again in the second leg at Inter Miami on April 9 at 8 p.m. ET. They’ll both play MLS games this weekend before then: LAFC will visit the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night and Inter Miami will host Toronto FC on ‘Sunday Night Soccer.’
However in the second leg, Inter Miami will be without Sergio Busquets — arguably the club’s best player after Messi and ahead of Luis Suarez — after the midfielder picked up another yellow card.
“Obviously, we didn’t have the best night. But in the end, it’s the first leg. We have the next game next week,” Mascherano said. “We will see. I believe we can do the right things to reach the semifinal.”
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and other members of the Golden State Warriors watched Messi play, one night before visiting LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.
David Beckham, who starred for the Los Angeles Galaxy before co-owning Inter Miami, watched the match sitting close to the FS1 broadcast booth.
American music legend Lionel Richie, Mexican-American singer Becky G, reality TV star Kendall Jenner, former UFC champion Chuck Liddell and Messi’s Argentine national team coach Lionel Scaloni were also among those in attendance.
Check out these highlights from USA TODAY Sports:
LAFC’s Nathan Ordaz scores goal: LAFC 1, Inter Miami 0
LAFC forward Nathan Ordaz, 21, scored a right boot in the 57th minute to help his side take a 1-0 lead against Messi and Inter Miami.
Ordaz’s goal comes with some controversy: He avoided a red card and remained in the game after a kerfuffle with an Inter Miami player in the first half.
Halftime recap: Inter Miami 0, LAFC 0
Lionel Messi appears fit and spry, but not as sharp as he’d like to be after missing two free kicks during a scoreless first half between Inter Miami and LAFC in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal. Inter Miami has controlled possession for the most part in the match, while LAFC has also missed out on three opportunities before halftime.
A turning point in the first half: LAFC forward Nathan Ordaz was issued a yellow card, not a red card, after appearing to slap Inter Miami defender Maxi Falcón in the 27th minute. LAFC avoided an ejection and playing with just 10 players for the rest of the match.
Messi misses second free kick in 37th minute: Inter Miami 0, LAFC 0
Two free kicks, and two misses by Messi in Los Angeles. Messi’s kick in the 37th minute was lofted into the hands of LAFC goalie Hugo Lloris for his first save of the game. Messi was tripped by LAFC defender Eddie Segura to create the opportunity.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, David Beckham attend LAFC vs. Inter Miami game
Lionel Messi misses free kick in 16th minute: Inter Miami 0, LAFC 0
Lionel Messi was unable to score on a free kick in the 17th minute for Inter Miami against LAFC goalie Hugo Lloris. It’s the first time Lloris (France) is defending against Messi since the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar.
Messi dribbles his way to free kick: Highlight
Check out this highlight dribble up the pitch by Messi, which ended with Inter Miami’s Luis Suarez being tripped up by LAFC defender Igor Jesus to create the free-kick opportunity.
What time does LAFC vs. Inter Miami match begin tonight?
LAFC and Inter Miami will kickoff at 8:30 p.m. local time in Los Angeles, or 11:30 p.m. ET and 12:30 a.m. Wednesday in Argentina. The game will be played at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
How to watch LAFC vs. Inter Miami match on TV, live stream?
The match will be available on FS1 in English and ViX in Spanish in the United States.
Will Messi be in Inter Miami’s starting lineup?
Messi is a starter for Inter Miami in tonight’s match.
Messi scores goal in latest return from injury
Messi scored a goal two minutes after coming off the bench for Inter Miami in the second half of the club’s 2-1 win against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday night.
Messi played about 45 minutes in his first match in 13 days at the time. He was diagnosed with a low-grade adductor strain in his left thigh after feeling discomfort in Inter Miami’s match at Atlanta United March 16. Messi did not join Argentina for World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay March 21 and Brazil March 25.
‘The most important thing is that he finished the game against Philadelphia very well… After the game and everything I’ve been able to talk to him about, he was very good, happy to be able to have good feelings,” Mascherano said after the Philly game.
Messi kisses World Cup trophy during event with Patrick Mahomes
Messi and the World Cup trophy reunited with a kiss during an event Sunday night in Los Angeles promoting the 2026 tournament alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino and fellow adidas athlete Patrick Mahomes, quarterback of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.
Messi attends David Beckham’s birthday party in Miami
Messi was joined by his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and their wives for David Beckham’s 50th birthday party celebration Saturday night in Miami before flying to Los Angeles the next day.
Messi bodyguard banned from Inter Miami sidelines
Popular Inter Miami security guard Yassine Cheuko (known on social media as ‘Messi’s bodyguard’) will no longer roam the sidelines during games, USA TODAY reported Tuesday.
Inter Miami vs. LAFC preview
Under Mascherano, the former Barcelona and Argentine teammate of Messi, Inter Miami has been unbeaten in nine consecutive games to start the 2025 season — not bad for a first time head coach.
Inter Miami is on a seven-game win streak with eight wins and a draw across all competitions. They are first in the MLS Eastern Conference with 13 points in the standings. They reached the Champions Cup quarterfinals by beating Sporting Kansas City and Jamaica Cavalier FC.
LAFC is in the Champions Cup quarterfinal after ousting the Colorado Rapids and Columbus Crew in earlier rounds of the tournament. But LAFC enters the match with four losses in their last five games. LAFC sits in eighth place with nine points in the MLS Western Conference standings.