In the 30th minute, with the score tied at 0-0, VAR intervened after Djibril Diani fouled Messi in the penalty box, awarding Inter Miami a penalty. Messi attempted a panenka, chipping the ball softly towards the center of the goal. Goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina anticipated the shot and easily caught the ball.

Lionel Messi's panenka penalty attempt is saved by Kristijan Kahlina during Inter Miami's 3-0 loss to Charlotte at Bank of America Stadium, North Carolina, USA, 13/9. Photo: AP

According to Transfermarkt, this is Messi's 31st missed penalty: 24 for Barcelona, 5 for Argentina, one for PSG, and one for Inter Miami.

The Argentinian star had successfully converted his previous three penalties for Inter Miami. His last penalty miss was against Poland in the 2022 World Cup group stage.

Messi had a subdued performance at Bank of America Stadium on 13/9. Playing the full 90 minutes, he had 52 touches, an 83% passing accuracy, no successful dribbles or crosses, and lost possession 17 times. Sofascore rated him 6.6, a score higher than only four other Inter Miami players.

Messi's missed penalty proved costly. 2004-born forward Idan Toklomati scored a hat-trick, including a penalty to seal the 3-0 victory for Charlotte.

This result drops Inter Miami to eighth place in the Eastern Conference, making their playoff qualification for the MLS Cup more challenging.

Unlike many other soccer leagues, the MLS Cup isn't awarded to the team topping the regular season standings. The regular season determines playoff qualification and seeding.

This year, 18 teams will qualify, nine from each the Eastern and Western Conferences. The top seven teams from each conference automatically qualify for the first round, while the eighth and ninth-placed teams compete in a wild card match for the final spot.

Compiled by Hong Duy