Lionel Messi, the "God of Football," was different.
Inter Miami, which was founded in 2018 and has participated in the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) since 2020, has been a team that has been at the bottom of the Eastern League. However, Miami has changed since Messi joined the team. Miami, which once was stigmatized as the last team by ranking 15th in the Eastern Conference League, won its first regular league title with the Barcelona Four Musketeers leading to Messi, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.
Inter Miami won 3-2 with Messi's multi-goal in the 32nd round of the 2024 season MLS regular league against Columbus Crew at Lower Dotcom Field in Columbus, Ohio on the 3rd (Korea time). Miami won the MLS Supporters' Shield with the victory.
The MLS is divided into Eastern and Western Conference League considering the large size of the U.S., and the Supporters' Shield is given to the team with the highest number of points in both Eastern and Western leagues. In other words, it is a unified championship trophy. Miami will be given the Supporters' Shield as the Los Angeles Galaxy, which currently ranks first in the Western Conference League, will not be able to cross Miami's points even if they win all of their remaining games.
Miami received the Supporters' Shield and also earned its first berth in the North-China U.S. Champions League. It plans to participate in the North-China Champions League as one of the representative teams of MLS in the next season.
What cannot be left out of Miami's regular league victory is the performance of veterans from the world's prestigious Barcelona.
Miami, which recruited Messi, Busquets, and Alba, who used to play with Barcelona in the past, with the full support of owner David Beckham last year, and brought Suarez, was able to win the regular league with the seasoned play and experience of the three players.
Messi, Suarez, Busquets, and Alba are known for their golden age in Barcelona in the 2010s.
Messi, who had already won the Ballon d'Or in his early 20s, ruled as the world's best player beyond Barcelona until he left the team due to salary cap due to Barcelona's financial problems. Messi was able to consistently lead the competition with Real Madrid, which has Cristiano Ronaldo, and Spain's La Liga.
It was Suarez who gave Messi a boost. A native of Ajax, Suarez scored 31 goals and 12 assists in the Premier League during the 2013-14 season, and later moved to Barcelona to continue his heyday. He led Barcelona's offense by building an MSN line with Messi and Neymar thanks to his outstanding goal-scoring skills and good sense.
Busquets, who also dominated the world's top defensive midfielder of the time, could not ignore the presence of Busquets. Busquets, who added hardness to Barcelona's midfield with stable ball distribution and repression, tends to be undervalued compared to his ability, but he was such a good player that Pep Guardiola praised him during his time at Barcelona.
Alba was amazing, too. Alba, who played for Barcelona Youth but made his debut for Valencia CF after failing to settle down, experienced the rise and fall of his team for more than a decade after returning to Barcelona in 2012.
Four players continued to play in Miami. If Messi and Suarez lead the offense from the front, Busquets coordinated the game in the midfield, while Alba added hardness and destructive power to the side defense. The three veterans who combined to win numerous championships including Treble during the Barcelona period showed off their robust performance in the MLS despite reaching the twilight of their careers.
Notably, the addition of "GOAT" Messi immediately brought about change in Miami. Having moved to Miami ahead of the second half of the 2023 season, Messi made 11 goals and five assists in 14 matches, giving Miami its first League Cup championship. Messi has recorded 10 goals and one assist in 10 League Cup matches.
Messi also showed strong performance by scoring multiple goals on Sunday, when he secured Miami's overall regular league championship. He received a long pass from the back in the 45th minute to beat the opponent team's defense, shook the opponent's net with a calm shot, and scored an additional goal with a free kick shot that drew a fantastic trajectory in the extra time of the first half. 안전놀이터
Miami allowed a chasing goal early in the second half, but Suarez's goal soon widened the gap. A penalty kick conceded another goal in the 16th minute of the second half, but Columbus center back Rudy Camacho held on well after being sent off to end the game with a 3-2 victory.
The victory over Columbus solidified Miami's image as an emerging powerhouse in MLS by winning the Leagues Cup last year and winning the trophy for two consecutive years. Miami has put two trophies on display for about five years since participating in the MLS in 2020.
In addition, Messi also won his 44th career championship, becoming the player who won the most trophies in football history, surpassing his record of tie with Barcelona teammate Dani Alves (43).
Messi has won 10 Spanish La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey titles, eight Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Champions League titles, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups in Barcelona.
After moving to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), which is also Lee Kang-in's current team, he won two French League 1 titles and one French Cup title.
Argentina's national team, which is still active, won the U-20 World Cup in 2005, the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the CONMEBOL Copa America in 2021 and 2024, and the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup, which focuses on the "best ever" debate in football.
Still in good shape, Messi has scored 17 goals and 10 assists in 17 matches (15 starts) in this season's MLS. Despite his 37-year-old age, Messi's history continues.