In trademark style, Messi inspired his side to victory on Wednesday night as Inter Miami recorded a 3-2 win at Columbus Crew to claim the Supporters’ Shield, a trophy that marks the best overall team across America in the regular season. A determined run on goal led to Messi dinking in his first goal of the night and he added a second in typical fashion with a beautiful free-kick.
Now we wait to see if he can lead this team all the way to glory. If the incredible salary, commercial deals and record shirt sales are not already enough, Messi has the chance to win the MLS Cup and give US soccer a poster image that would last forever. He heads into the playoffs with a chance to take the game to unprecedented levels.
Messi’s Legacy in the MLS
World Cup winner’s impact “already greater than David Beckham’s”
A fellow member of the ten greatest set piece takers in football history, David Beckham’s time at LA Galaxy shifted the status of the game but Messi holding the trophy aloft would make him the face of the league until the end of time. In Miami, there is no going back from this moment. Messi has an eye on the MLS Cup final date: December 7.
“To rate the reality of having Messi compared to the expectation? From a one-to-ten rating, I would give it one million,” says Kris Duran, who hosts the Battered Herons Inter Miami podcast. “I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted the pandemonium that came with the deal. People assumed it would be similar to Beckham, or Zlatan. But with arguably the best player to ever play this game, it has been a phenomenal experience.
“I think I can speak for every podcast, journalist, stadium owner, that the interest has increased dramatically. It’s opened a larger following in Spanish speakers so we started a second pod that is strictly from the listeners from South America and Spain. Interest has risen due to the GOAT wearing pick and black.
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“This season, it is expected for us to win the MLS Cup. To have a player of this magnitude, along with the other Barca boys, we’re expecting to shelf a lot of hardware before end of next season. His impact alone on American Soccer has already been monumental. Fans who were never interested in the MLS are now following the league. Kids who were playing baseball and football, are now wanting to play soccer. If he was to stop playing now, his impact has already been massive.”
Michelle Kaufman has been on the ground reporting every kick of Messi’s journey in her role as sportswriter for the Miami Herald. “His impact on this club and the league are far greater than I even imagined,” she explains to GiveMeSport. “His legacy, like that of David Beckham when he retired, will be lifting the league to new heights on and off the field. His impact is even greater than that of Beckham because many fans consider him the greatest player of all time and he has a cult-like following that is tuning in to MLS games for the first time.
“Winning MLS Cup would certainly make national headlines and get national TV coverage. Inter Miami has been atop the table all season, so it is practically a foregone conclusion that Messi and his teammates will make a deep playoff run. But whether they go all the way and win their first MLS Cup remains to be seen.”
His impact is even greater than that of Beckham because many fans consider him the greatest player of all time and he has a cult-like following that is tuning in to MLS games for the first time.
Inter Miami Spell Could Still End in Failure
Messi needs to win MLS Cup by the end of 2025
Messi is due to end his time in America at the end of 2025, unless he extends his deal, and that means there would be just one more opportunity to win an MLS championship after this season. His highlight reel is already ridiculous but his legacy will depend on the on-pitch success and a culture change among kids wanting to play the game. His jersey can already be seen at schools, playgrounds and parks all over the US. But for Messi this playoff period is critical in making sure he can rest easy, in the knowledge he has cracked America.
“From a strictly sporting aspect, it is imperative Messi wins at least one MLS Cup,” said Franco Panizo, host of the Miami Total Futbol podcast. “Anything short of that would make this chapter of his club career a failure, regardless of what individual statistics he puts up. The image of him holding up the MLS Cup trophy is necessary because he was not brought here just to score goals, deliver assists make commercials and more money. He was also brought here to win, and that will ultimately be what he is judged by.”
If you were to judge him on financial success, he has already won. Messi certainly has made the most of his move across the Atlantic. It was recently revealed that his annual pay from his MLS contract at Inter Miami was just over $20.4million in his first full season. Forbes have additionally estimated that he earned $70million in endorsements in the past year.
It is imperative Messi wins at least one MLS Cup. Anything short of that would make this chapter of his club career a failure.
Messi’s Feet do the Talking
Argentina legend rarely speaks to local media
Messi Mania is real but what has it been like to watch him up-close through his US transition? He has made his presence known on the pitch but talk has been limited away from it.
“We in the media don’t really get to deal with Messi very much,” admits Kaufman. “We get to watch the first 15 minutes of training twice a week, but he has spoken to the local media just once since his arrival in July 2023. “He did a press conference in mid-August 2023 and I was fortunate enough to be one of four reporters granted a 5-minute one-on-one interview with Leo after the press conference. We met in a stadium suite. He was extremely friendly and down to earth. We had a lovely chat in Spanish. I asked him off-beat questions, which he seemed happy to answer. But that is the last time we spoke.”
Messi does speak to the Argentine media regularly when he is playing for the national team but he just does not have much desire to chat. “We were told it was the same at Barcelona and PSG,” says Kaufman. “I suppose he doesn’t need more fame and maybe figures he has nothing to gain and much to lose if he speaks to reporters he doesn’t know and trust.”
| Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Career | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 34 |
| Goals | 30 |
| Assists | 17 |
| Trophies | Leagues Cup (2023), Supporters’ Shield (2024) |
Panizo had the privilege of asking one question after Messi’s arrival and admits the lack of interaction has been somewhat frustrating – even if he has benefitted from a social media perspective. “I was able to catch a brief glimpse of him behind the scenes after one game this season, in a YouTube video that has garnered nearly half a billion views due to his global appeal. But Messi has done practically no media appearances locally since that initial press conference.
“That had left the South Florida press corps that regular covers the team deeply disappointed and is a true testament to how Messi’s star power overshadows MLS media rules as well as a clear indicator of Inter Miami’s inability to manage him away from the field.” Martin Rogers, Fox Sports national columnist, told GMS: “The fact that he loves playing and either detests or tolerates doing media, depending on his mood, is entrenched by now. Not many people could get away with blowing off the post-World Cup final press conference, but it was Messi, so no one minded too much. He’s earned the right to just go celebrate at that point.
“He is so likeable and it changed the conversation when he arrived. I remember thinking at the time how everyone was just so happy he was here, that no one was talking much about how he would play. When it comes to expectations, we always expect the unexpected with him. Like that first game and the free-kick in the final seconds. You’re sat there thinking, ‘he can’t do it, can he?’ And in an instant correcting yourself, ‘well yeah, of course he can.’ He has been pure Messi, loads of goals, loads of wins, loads of highlights, loads of cash spent on secondary-market tickets. He’s just too good.”
Journalist Steve Brenner had a long career covering the game in England and now works out of Florida. “Messi came to MLS and had a fantastic start, putting the club at the center of the football discussion globally for months,” he explains. “I was at the first game when he curled in a last-minute free kick – it was brilliant sporting theatre and one of the most dramatic moments I’ve witnessed in over 20 years as a journalist.
“MLS have looked to bleed every inch of him being in their League, which, at times, can be pretty nauseating, but who can blame them? They have the greatest player of all time gracing their stadiums. He won’t be forgotten. He is one of those players – Tom Brady, Venus Williams, Michael Jordan etc – who transcends the sport. It’s a shame we don’t hear from him more, but it’s an age-old cliche, he really does let his feet do to the talking.”
It’s a shame we don’t hear from him more, but it’s an age-old cliche, he really does let his feet do to the talking.
Messi’s 47th Trophy on the Horizon
MLS Cup would make him the league’s eternal poster-boy
Now we are going to find out just how noisy those feet of his can still truly be. This is a man that has won the World Cup, lifted the Champions League four times, come first in La Liga on ten occasions and collected the Ballon d’Or eight times. He won Ligue 1 twice during his stint with Paris Saint-Germain and in his first season at Inter Miami inspired their first ever trophy success, the 2023 Leagues Cup. There is every reason to believe he is not done just yet, even if he is 37.
Miami are considered favourites to win the MLS Cup on the back of their Supporters’ Shield success – Messi’s 46th trophy – and we are potentially two months away from the moment when he delivers the most iconic moment US soccer has ever known.
“Winning championships is what matters in American sports,” says Rogers. “If Messi can do that it would be a rubber-stamping of his move and, no question, the league would embrace the marketing opportunity of a photo of Messi lifting their flagship trophy.”
