Lionel Messi’s Panenka penalty attempt was thwarted by Charlotte FC’s goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina, contributing to Inter Miami’s 3-0 defeat to Charlotte FC in the Major League Soccer on Sunday September 14. Charlotte FC vs Inter Miami CF ended 3-0 in favor of Charlotte, with Idan Toklomati scoring a hat-trick.
Toklomati’s goals came in the 34th and 47th minutes, and he sealed his hat-trick with a penalty kick in the 84th minute. Toklomati joined Andy Williams (1998) as the only players in MLS history aged 21 or younger to produce a goal contribution in seven-straight games. Toklomati also became the second player in Charlotte history to produce a regular-season hat trick, joining Daniel Ríos from 2022.
Lionel Messi was fouled inside the box and awarded a penalty early in the game when the score was still 0 – 0 a penalty which he attempted with a Panenka-style chip. However, Kahlina anticipated the move and saved the penalty, denying Inter Miami a crucial opening goal.
The missed penalty proved costly for Inter Miami, as Charlotte pounced on their unsettled defense and scored the opening goal just two minutes later. Inter Miami’s struggles continued, and they played with 10 men after defender Tomas Aviles received a red card in the 79th minute.
The defeat significantly impacts Inter Miami’s playoff chances, while Charlotte FC secured a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the third consecutive season, tying Seattle’s 2018 MLS record for consecutive wins in a single season with nine straight victories.
Lionel Messi now holds the record for most penalty misses in football history with 33.
