The Herons, who have pieced together a star-studded squad at Chase Stadium, have landed the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 after posting the best regular season record in MLS. Talismanic captain Messi helped them over that line when bagging a brace in a 3-2 victory away at the Columbus Crew.

Inter Miami continue to make history with Messi on their books, as they have won the Supporters’ Shield for the first time. Their Argentine icon is, however, well versed in the art of trophy collecting as the most decorated player of all-time.

Messi’s relentless desire to be the best – which matches that of eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo – means that he will never rest on his laurels or settle for what has already been achieved. After lifting another piece of silverware, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner posted on social media: “First goal accomplished. Very proud of this team, we move forward with the desire to achieve more things together!!”

Inter Miami have two regular season fixtures left to take in – against Toronto and New England – and have had a playoff berth wrapped up for some time. The challenge facing Tata Martino’s side now is to emerge triumphant in the battle for ultimate MLS Cup glory.