FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — This is how 2024 began for Inter Miami: Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, all former Barcelona teammates who won multiple titles together, sat side by side after the first Official training session of the new season.

And here is the latest scene: Messi, Suárez, Alba and Busquets sat together again Wednesday evening, holding their latest prize — the Supporters Shield, the trophy awarded to Major League Soccer’s best regular-season team.

Inter Miami will be the No. 1 seed for the MLS Cup playoffs, the team is coming to an end this place with a 3-2 win at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday evening. It was the league’s most hyped regular season game this season, perhaps the most hyped in a long time.

“I’m happy,” said Messi. “I’m happy for this group.”

Messi scored twice to bring his total to 17 goals in 17 MLS games this season, Suarez scored the eventual winner for Inter Miami on Wednesday and goalkeeper Drake Callender made four saves – including one on a penalty kick late in the second half.

“We still have more goals to achieve in the playoffs,” Callender said.

True, what was awarded Wednesday isn’t the prize Inter Miami wants most – the MLS Cup is still its biggest highlight – but the shield represents the biggest step yet for the franchise that has most of its stagnated for the first three seasons and then saw everything change on June 7, 2023 Messi has stunned many in the football world saying he was coming to South Florida to pursue his career.

Messi’s arrival, followed shortly by Busquets and Alba’s moves to Inter Miami, helped the team win the League Cup and their first trophy last year. And when Suarez completed his long-rumored move to club officialdom by signing a one-year contract in December, Inter Miami’s position as MLS Cup favorites was further cemented.

So far, so good.

“The idea was clear from the start: to be protagonists, to control possession and to challenge the opponents with our style of play,” said Messi. “Then came key players who made the team grow even further in terms of gameplay, personality and competitiveness.”

At 20-4-8, Inter Miami has 68 points with two games remaining in the MLS season. These games are meaningless in terms of playoff placement. Given the history of the league, they are not.

With two wins — Saturday in Toronto and then Oct. 19 against New England — Inter Miami could finish with 74 points. That would break New England’s record of 73 set in 2021.

It is unclear how much Messi will play in the two remaining games. Messi is expected to play for Argentina in World Cup qualifiers on October 10th (in Venezuela) and October 15th (in Argentina against Bolivia). Then, a week before the start of the MLS postseason, it might seem a bit excessive to have to fly back to the US on October 19 and play again, even with the points record on the line.

“I think breaking the points record is secondary,” Messi said. “Although we have a nice opportunity to make history in this regard too, I think it is less important.”

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