FORT LAUDERDALE — Having completed the greatest regular season in Major League Soccer history with a record-shattering 74 points, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will take their first step towards playoff immortality this weekend at Chase Stadium.
Messi concluded the regular season in spellbinding fashion, coming off the bench to score a 33-minute hat-trick in a 6–2 demolition of New England Revolution, finishing with 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 regular season appearances.
Yet head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino was quick to remind his star-studded squad—which also features Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba—that postseason football in North America offers no guarantees.
"The Supporters’ Shield is a fantastic achievement that honors our consistency over eight months," Martino said on Friday. "But in MLS, history remembers the team that lifts the MLS Cup in December. From this moment on, every game is a final, and regular-season records count for zero."
With FIFA President Gianni Infantino officially confirming Inter Miami’s qualification for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and awarding them the opening match at Hard Rock Stadium, global spotlight on the Herons has reached fever pitch.
Messi and Suárez, who scored 40 combined league goals this year, have trained with maximum intensity all week, ready to lead the Herons into the best-of-three Round One series.
A sell-out crowd of 21,500 will pack Chase Stadium, with ticket resale prices averaging over $450.