Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami CF: A history of one of MLS’s most exciting rivalries

One of the biggest rivalries in MLS makes its return to GEODIS Park next week: Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami in the first leg of a two-game series in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. Next Wednesday marks the fourth year in a row that Nashville and Miami will have met in a knockout competition. But it’s the first time they will go to war as reigning champions, holding the U.S. Open Cup and MLS Cup trophies, respectively. 

It’s a rivalry that has produced magnificent stakes and even more magnificent spectacles despite its youth. Let’s look at how the Boys in Gold have fared against their Eastern Conference rivals throughout their history, alongside some of their greatest moments, ahead of their latest marquee meeting.

A pair of fierce foes 

Nashville and Miami are each other’s most common foe throughout the clubs’ history, playing 19 times in all competitions since they debuted in MLS in 2020. The South Florida club holds the leg-up in the all-time series ledger with nine wins to Nashville’s five, with five draws sprinkled in between. 

The early stages of the rivalry were dominated by the Boys in Gold, winning two and drawing one of the three matches without conceding a goal against Miami in a condensed 2020 season. A 0-0 draw, 2-1 Miami win and a 5-1 Nashville thrashing followed in 2021, setting the stage for a rivalry that would only grow in prominence and competitiveness in the coming seasons. 

Although recent matches have swung in the Herons’ favor, the Boys in Gold have stayed competitive, scoring in every match except two (one loss, one goalless draw) since 2021. They’ve also produced many memorable moments on the way, including a penalty-kick shootout to decide the 2023 Leagues Cup Final, a thrilling two-leg Concacaf Champions Cup last-16 clash in 2024 and a back-and-forth best-of-three first round battle in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.  

Memorable moments 

The 2023 Leagues Cup Final — both the most thrilling and most consequential single game played in either club’s history to that point — was perhaps the game that most loudly announced the Boys in Gold on the continental stage. Having already dispatched longtime rival FC Cincinnati, Liga MX colossus Club América, Minnesota United and CF Monterrey in the knockout stage, Nashville and Miami met at GEODIS Park both hoping to secure their first-ever trophy.  

The late-summer clash delivered on its immense hype. Tournament golden-boot leader Lionel Messi netted in the first half for Miami but was soon canceled out by Nashville’s Fafa Picault after the break. The clubs, locked 1-1 after regulation, proceeded into a tense penalty shootout decided on the 11th kick by each team’s goalkeeper. While the Herons prevailed 10-9, the match was close throughout, foreshadowing the excitement and immense stakes future games would provide.

Nashville and Miami’s meeting in the first leg of the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 unleashed similar fireworks to the Leagues Cup Final seven months prior, this time with Nashville seizing the early advantage at GEODIS Park. 

Jacob Shaffelburg found the net in the fourth minute to put his team up 1-0 before doubling the lead with a wonderstrike in the 46th minute, defying Miami’s 72-28 possession advantage. Messi and Luis Suarez each grabbed a goal for the visitors in a thrilling ending, sending the teams into a decisive second leg in Florida tied 2-2.

Last November’s MLS Cup Playoffs clash in Music City was another showpiece event in the teams’ budding rivalry, a win-or-go-home game 2 in a best-of-three Round-of-16 series. The Boys in Gold shot off the blocks at GEODIS Park, claiming a 1-0 advantage inside 10 minutes through a Sam Surridge penalty and a 2-0 buffer after Josh Bauer scored off a corner before halftime. While Messi would net deep into regulation, Nashville held on for a famous win in front of a packed house, forcing the series to a decisive game 3.

Next week’s Champions Cup Round-of-16 first leg will be the eighth knockout clash between the rivals, a remarkable record given the relative recency of both teams’ jump to MLS. If previous matches have taught us anything, it’s that this rivalry can produce masterpieces. Secure your spot today to witness the next one first-hand.