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Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have secured another trophy and clinched home-field advantage for the entire Major League Soccer (MLS) playoffs.
Messi netted two goals in the closing minutes of the first half, while goalkeeper Drake Callender made a crucial save on an 84th-minute penalty, helping Inter Miami edge out the reigning MLS Cup champions, Columbus Crew, with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday. This win also earned Miami the Supporters' Shield, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record.
This triumph marked Messi's 46th major trophy, the most ever won by a male soccer player, and his second with Inter Miami after claiming the Leagues Cup shortly after joining in 2023.
"We knew we had a team capable of fighting for this," Messi shared.
Luis Suárez also contributed with a goal for Inter Miami, which now heads into a best-of-three first-round playoff series at the end of October. A win in that series would give the team home advantage for all remaining matches, including the Eastern Conference semifinal on November 23 or 24, the East final on November 30 or December 1, and the MLS Cup final on December 7.
Messi expressed optimism after the match, telling Apple TV, "We have a chance to make history... and now we focus on what lies ahead. Having home advantage is huge for us, and I think we're very strong at home."
Inter Miami is also eyeing the record for the best MLS regular-season points total. With Wednesday's win, their record stands at 20-4-8, giving them 68 points. Should they win their final two games—against Toronto on Saturday and New England on October 19—they would finish with 74 points, surpassing the current record of 73, set by New England in 2021.
Messi opened the scoring in the 45th minute, receiving a long pass from Jordi Alba—his former Barcelona teammate with whom he won 35 trophies. Messi skillfully navigated past two defenders and slotted the ball past Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte for a 1-0 lead. In stoppage time, Messi struck again with a free kick from 30 yards out, placing it between Schulte and the near post for a 2-0 advantage.
"Dominant," praised Inter Miami coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino.
Columbus responded early in the second half with a goal from Diego Rossi, narrowing the gap to 2-1. However, Miami quickly regained its two-goal cushion when Schulte collided with one of his defenders, allowing Suárez to score with a header into an empty net, making it 3-1.
Columbus clawed back with a penalty kick in the 61st minute, converted by Juan "Cucho" Hernández, reducing Miami's lead to 3-2. But the Crew's momentum was cut short when Rudy Camacho received his second yellow card and was sent off in the 63rd minute, leaving Columbus to play the remainder of the match with 10 men.
Despite the disadvantage, Columbus continued to create opportunities. In the 76th minute, Mohamed Farsi's shot was blocked by Callender, who was well-positioned to maintain Miami's lead.
More drama unfolded when Inter Miami was called for a second handball in the box, giving Columbus another penalty opportunity. Hernández aimed for the left side, but Callender made a comfortable save, sealing the win for Miami.
Messi's performance, which included his fifth two-goal game of the season, has brought his tally to 17 goals in 17 league matches. He missed 15 MLS games in 2024 due to national team duties and a two-month recovery from an ankle injury sustained during Argentina's Copa America triumph in July. With Messi in the lineup, Inter Miami has a 10-1-6 record this season.
Reflecting on the challenges of the season, Messi said, "We faced many injuries throughout the year, which kept us from being at full strength... but the team fought hard in every difficult game."
Entering Wednesday, the Columbus Crew and LA Galaxy were still in contention for the Supporters' Shield, and Cincinnati trailed by nine points. However, they will now be vying for second place.
"Our goal is December 7," Martino said, referring to the MLS Cup final. "But today's achievement is significant too."
