David Beckham nightmare begins as Lionel Messi worst outcome becomes reality for FIFA

Lionel Messi's hopes of clinching the MLS Cup were dashed on Saturday as David Beckham's Inter Miami suffered a shock 3-2 loss to Atlanta United.

This come after the announcement that Inter Miami will be joining the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, a decision that has sparked accusations of favouritism from other MLS teams. The Club World Cup has had difficulty attracting broadcaster interest, with no bids for the rights, and the inclusion of Messi is seen as a strategy to boost its appeal.

Fans of rival clubs have expressed their dissatisfaction over what they see as special treatment towards Beckham's high-profile franchise. Their participation in the tournament has been officially justified as a reward for winning the Supporters' Shield, the MLS trophy awarded for the best regular season record. Messi and his team set a new league record with 74 points to top the table.

The club entered the playoffs with high expectations, but Atlanta United had other ideas - knocking out Messi and his team by winning the first-round postseason series 2-1. The match was a rollercoaster, with much of the action taking place within a few minutes in the first half.

In the 15th minute, Diego Gomez fed the ball to Messi, whose close-range effort was thwarted by Atlanta United's keeper Brad Guzan. However, Inter Miami's Matias Rojas was quick to pounce on the rebound and slot it home.

Atlanta United didn't take long to respond, with their striker Jamal Thiare netting a spectacular equaliser just two minutes later. Thiare wasn't done yet, finding the back of the net again in the 20th minute from about 10 yards out, thanks to an assist from Alexey Miranchuk, to put his side 2-1 up.

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Despite trailing at the break, Messi levelled things up for Inter Miami in the 65th minute, heading home a Marcelo Weigandt cross. This goal marked a significant milestone for the Argentine, as it was his first in the MLS Cup Playoffs and made him the youngest player to reach 850 goals in professional football.

A brief spat with Guzan followed, involving several Inter Miami players, but no further incidents occurred. The final blow came in the 76th minute, courtesy of Atlanta United, which left the crowd at Chase Stadium stunned.

When an Inter Miami player took a tumble in the box, many of his teammates halted play, expecting a pause. However, with no stoppage given, Bartosz Slisz seized the opportunity and scored with a leaping header from the left.

This loss has put a dent in Messi's hopes of securing the MLS Cup with Inter Miami. In a recent chat with Fabrizio Romano, Messi shared his ambitions: "Hopefully we can win MLS Cup and lift another title. Not only on a personal level, but especially for the club that did so much to make it happen.

"It would be great to win it and keep the enthusiasm around our club. We want to keep helping this club grow. We want to make it one of the big clubs in MLS and, if possible, one of the big clubs in the world as well.