With Messi, Inter Miami Could Win 1st MLS Title

Inter Miami's Argentine forward No. 10 Lionel Messi celebrates with Uruguayan forward No. 9 Luis Suarez after scoring his team's fifth goal during the Major League Soccer (MLS) football match between Inter Miami and New England Revolution at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 19, 2024. Chris Arjoon/AFP via Getty Images

Lionel Messi has energized both Inter Miami and the entire Major League Soccer (MLS) with his flashes of brilliance with the ball at his feet.

Despite missing significant time with various injuries over the past season, Messi helped Inter Miami set an MLS single-season regular-season record with 74 points (22 wins, eight draws, and four losses), surpassing the previous mark set by the New England Revolution (73) in 2021.

Now, Inter Miami has its sights on the franchise’s first league title, with the playoffs starting this week. Miami closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion with a 6–2 victory over New England, with Messi recording his first hat trick of the season in league play.

“For the team, it’s a boost of confidence, more confidence. As we said before, these 74 points weren’t something planned or a goal we had when the season started, but as it became within reach, we tried to achieve it, and we were able to do so,” Inter Miami head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino said in his postgame news conference following the win against Revolution on Oct. 19.

“The truth is, it’s a victory for all of us who make up the Inter Miami family. It’s hard to make this an individual achievement; I think it’s the triumph of everyone.”

This is a crucial time for Inter Miami because Messi has said that he might retire at the end of the season and that Miami will be his last professional club as a player.

Messi, who has scored 20 goals in 19 MLS games this season, has been a boon to the league and helped set attendance records in Mami and around the league.

Messi is also Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer with 33 goals.

However, he is not the only star for Inter Miami.

Uruguayan international Luis Suarez has been a huge addition after signing a one-year deal before the 2024 season. Suarez scored 20 goals in 27 games this season, three shy of the league lead behind D.C. United’s Christian Benteke.

Suarez indicated he would like to play at least another season for Inter Miami in 2025.

“My lawyer is talking to the club, but I am with a calm mind. I am going to finish the season in the best possible way, which is what I wanted, and to show the club that one comes with desire, feels good physically, and the hope to continue being part of the history of this club,” Suarez told reporters last week.

Inter Miami is now preparing to host Game 1 of a best-of-three first-round MLS playoff series against the winner, CF Montreal or Atlanta United. It will be the first home playoff match in Inter Miami history, and owner David Beckham is excited for the fans and the city.

“Let’s make this a great year—an even better year than it already is,” Beckham told the fans after the game. “Let’s get ready for the playoffs.”