Inter Miami’s regular season finale is taking the Herons to Tennessee, where they will face off with Nashville SC.
The final matchday of the 2025 MLS regular season has arrived, as Decision Day excitement takes over the league with 15 matches in just two time slots. For Inter Miami and Nashville SC, it’s an all Eastern Conference clash to seal their postseason fate at GEODIS Park, with a Golden Boot battle between Lionel Messi, Sam Surridge and a sure-to-be-watching LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.
Not only does the final match of the regular season have MLS Cup playoff seeding implications for both sides, but it also offers a chance to end the campaign on a high note, with good form heading into the postseason.
Here is Sports Illustrated’s guide to the Decision Day matchup between Nashville SC and Inter Miami.
What Time Does Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami Kick-Off?
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Stadium: GEODIS Park
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 18
- Kick-Off Time: 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami Head-to-Head Record
- Inter Miami: 4 wins
- Nashville SC: 6 wins
- Draws: 5
Previous meeting: Inter Miami 2–1 Nashville SC (July, 12, 2025) - MLS regular season
Current Form (All Competitions)
How to Watch Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami on TV
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Nashville SC Team News
Nashville SC are looking to ensure their spot beyond the play-in round at home against Inter Miami, while striker Surridge looks to erase the three-goal gap between him and Messi in the MLS Golden Boot race.
With a win and other results going their way, Nashville could loft themselves as high as fourth in the Eastern Conference. However, a loss could be borderline catastrophic, potentially putting them as low as eighth and in the Wild Card round—an head-scratching possibility, considering their form through the summer and recent high of winning the club’s first trophy, the U.S. Open Cup.
Surridge remains the key piece in the attack and will look to take advantage of Miami’s fragile defense, while linking up with midfielder Hany Mukhtar, who has 16 goals and seven assists himself in another successful season with the Coyotes.
Although BJ Callaghan’s side didn’t play during the international break, it will welcome back several players who spent time with their national teams, including Canada’s Jacob Shaffelburg, Australia's Patrick Yazbek, Honduras’ Andy Najar and Dominican Republic’s Xavier Valdez.
It will also be an emotional day at GEODIS Park, as the club and supporters say farewell to longtime defender Taylor Washington, who announced his retirement after seven years with the club, rising from the USL level to MLS with them.
Nashville SC Predicted Lineup
Nashville SC Predicted Lineup vs. Inter Miami (4-4-2): Willis; Najar, Zimmerman, Maher, Lovitz; Shaffelburg, Brugman, Tagseth, Muyl; Mukhtar, Surridge.
Inter Miami Team News
Inter Miami have a chance to secure second seed in the Western Conference should they draw or win against Nashville, and have that result outdo FC Cincinnati’s against CF Montreal.
Heading into the match, both Miami and Cincinnati are tied on points. The Ohio side holds the tiebreaker with 19 wins compared to Miami’s 18; however if Miami win and Cincinnati drop points, the Herons would snag second place with an insurmountable 14-goal differential, which acts as the second tiebreaker.
Second place would give Inter Miami home advantage through at least the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Seeding won’t be top of mind for the Herons, though. Instead, the focus sits on Messi’s Golden Boot hunt, where he holds a two-goal advantage on LAFC’s Bouanga, who faces the playoff-seeking Colorado Rapids later in the day. He also holds a three-goal advantage on Nashville’s Surridge.
While Messi returned briefly from international duty to score a brace for Miami in last week’s 4–0 win against Atlanta United, Javier Mascherano’s side get several other players back, including Argentina’s Rodrigo De Paul, Jamaica’s Ian Fray, Venezuela’s Telasco Segovia and Greece’s Noah Allen.
Only Mateo Silvetti remains on international duty, leading Argentina to the FIFA U-20 World Cup final against Morocco. Meanwhile, striker Allen Obando and midfielder David Ruiz remain unavailable due to injury.
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup
Inter Miami Predicted Lineup vs. Nashville SC (4-4-2): Rios Novo; Fray, Allen, Falcón, Alba; De Paul, Bright, Busquets, Segovia; Messi; Suárez.
Nashville SC vs. Inter Miami Score Prediction
With two of the best goalscorers in the league, this match should have goals, especially considering the hunt for the Golden Boot headlining the day for each of Messi and Surridge. While it will be tough for Surridge to score the likely four needed to give himself a chance at the honor, don’t be surprised if he gets at least a couple.
Although the Golden Boot race reigns supreme, both sides will also be hungry for a result to ensure their playoff positioning, pointing towards a high-scoring draw.
Score Prediction: Nashville SC 3–3 Inter Miami
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC: Preview, Predictions and Lineups.