The end was abrupt and painful. On Saturday night in South Florida, the locker room was somber. And somewhere amid the haze of the biggest upset in Major League Soccer history, a startling reality set in: Lionel Messi will enter the final guaranteed year of his MLS contract without a single playoff series victory.

Fireworks shot out from the rafters of Inter Miami ’s Chase Stadium on Saturday night but there was nothing to celebrate. When the final whistle blew in Fort Lauderdale, Inter Miami had been beaten 3-2 by Atlanta United and eliminated from the MLS playoffs.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami suffered a shock elimination in the first round of the Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs on Saturday, losing 3-2 to No. 9 seed Atlanta United on home soil in the best-of-three series decider.