Los Angeles FC 1-0 Inter Miami: Messi and his co-stars unable to prevent Champions Cup defeat

Inter Miami lost their first game of the season as they were beaten 1-0 away to Los Angeles FC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final first leg on Wednesday.

Despite captain Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba all playing the entire match, none were able to carry their team to victory in front of a star-studded crowd that included Stephen Curry, Kendall Jenner and Lionel Richie at BMO Stadium.

It was 21-year-old Nathan Ordaz who made a decisive contribution in the 57th minute, after he spun away from Busquets and, from around 25 yards out, arrowed home into the bottom-right corner.

The goal was the first moment of genuine quality in the match, though there was some controversy about whether Ordaz should have been on the pitch at the time.

He tangled with Miami's Maximiliano Falcon in the first half, making contact with the defender's face, but the Herons' pleas for a red card were ignored.

Messi, meanwhile, was facing LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for the first time since the 2022 World Cup final, though this time, the latter came out on top.

In the first half, Lloris easily gathered a free-kick from Messi, while he had to scramble a little more in the 86th minute to keep out the Argentine's other shot on target.

The defeat is Miami's first under head coach Javier Mascherano, though they will get the chance to turn the tie around in the second leg in Florida next week.

Data debrief: Miami's run finally over

Not only was this the first defeat for Miami in any competition this season, but it was also the first time they have failed to score in 2025, as they generated only 0.5 expected goals.

For Ordaz, meanwhile, his goal represented his second in his last three appearances in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. 

LAFC, who had an xG of 0.81, have now scored in all five of their matches in the competition, which is their longest run since an 11-game streak between 2020 and 2023.