Lionel Messi shone bright for Inter Miami as the team clinched their first ever MLS Supporters Shield following a brilliant 2024 MLS campaign.
Despite battling injury midway through the season, Messi turned heads with pockets of standout performances for the Herons as they raced to the finish line in the Eastern Conference table with the maximum points ever in the regular season.
The Gerardo Martino-led side roared to Eastern Conference triumph, winning 22 games, drawing 8, and losing 8 to amass 74 points – 8 points better than runners-up Columbus Crew.
After being rested following his return from international break, Messi came on as a second-half substitute for the Herons in the final match against New England. And he wrapped up the season with a five-star performance.
The Argentine football sensation scored in the 78th, 81st, and 89th minutes to bag his quickest hat-trick for the club. The quickfire goals saw Inter Miami sailed to a thumping 6-2 victory thanks to early goals by Luis Suarez and Cremaschi.
Messi’s hat-trick saw him overtake his teammate Leonardo Campana as the club’s all-time top scorer with 32 goals. He contributed 20 goals in 19 MLS matches with 10 assists.
With the triumphant finish to the MLS regular season, all eyes are now fixed on how long the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner can take the team in the 2024 MLS playoffs.
Can Lionel Messi lead Inter Miami to the 2024 MLS Cup?
Lionel Messi has now won two trophies—the Leagues Cup and the Supporters’ Shield – in his first two seasons with the club. And has played a key role helping the team win the two trophies.
The ultimate silverware that will herald a bigger milestone in his career will be an MLS Cup victory. The competition, which will begin on October 22 through December 7, will see the team trade tackles with other seeded opponents across the two divides.
The club has yet to know their opponents but will compete in round one after finishing among the best seven teams in their division. Meanwhile, they are likely to face tougher opponents from the Western Conference en route to the final and possibly final triumph.
All eyes will be on Lionel Messi, with the team tipped as favorites to win the trophy after finishing the regular season with the highest number of points, including beating defending champions Columbus Crew to the top of the Eastern Conference table with an eight-point gap.
Notably, while the team boasts great depth of quality with the likes of Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, and Luis Suarez all set to lock in for the challenge, Messi will be crucial to their bid for the 2024 MLS Cup.
Worthy of note is how Gerrardo Martino has built the team around the Argentine, creating a perfect synergy between the Argentine and Luis Suarez. The two have scored 40 goals and provided 39 assists altogether.
They are scheduled to resume action in the playoff on Saturday, October 26, 2024 but have yet to learn about opponents. Nevertheless, they are expected to go far in the competition irrespective of the opponent.
