Make it a double for Lionel Messi in Inter Miami: the Argentine football superstar has won his second title with the Herons. The team coached by Argentine Gerardo Martino beat Columbus Crew 3-2 on Wednesday with two goals by the Rosario-born legend and secured the MLS Supporter’s Shield.
“I’m happy for my team,” said Messi after the game. “We knew we had it in us to fight for the title, we’ve been doing it since day one.” The Herons have seen a complete turn of form since Messi joined in 2023. Sitting near the bottom of the MLS Table then, the team partially owned by David Beckham has gone to become one of the best in the league.
“We’re happy to have secured this objective but we’re also thinking about what’s coming ahead,” added Messi. The Supporter’s Shield awards the team that scored the most points of the MLS regular season. The league will now move into its traditional playoffs, where teams are bracketed in two conferences, much like the NBA or NFL do at the end of the season.
The win is a good sign of Messi’s recovery, as Argentina’s team captain had struggled through the end of 2023 and the first half of 2024 with a hamstring injury. Last July, at the 2024 Copa América final, he suffered a ligament injury in his right ankle, which forced him to leave the pitch in tears.
This is the second trophy in the short history of Inter Miami, after Messi led the team to a Leagues Cup title in 2023. It is also the 45th (or 46th) title for Messi, who now widens his lead as the most successful football player of all time.
On top of that, Inter Miami’s win of the Supporter’s Shield means they will go into the MLS Cup playoffs with the right to play all games at home after the first round.
“That was our goal,” said Messi. “We’re very strong when we play at home. When you go out and play in any other MLS stadium, it’s not easy. But we have a great advantage at home, and we have to make the most of it.”