Trophies that Lionel Messi can win with Inter Miami in USA: MLS, CONCACAF, individual silverware up for grabs
Lionel Messi’s first full season at Inter Miami will see more expectation placed on the Argentinian superstar.
Largely considered the best player to ever play the game, Messi enjoyed a strong start to his career in the United States in 2023, after moving from PSG to join a struggling Inter Miami side.
After making his Inter Miami debut on July 21, Messi hit the ground running in Florida, as he led the team to a Leagues Cup title in August.
Supporters will be confident Messi and Miami can build on that and here is a breakdown of all the trophies Messi will be competing for in 2024.
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Trophies Lionel Messi can win with Inter Miami
Messi will be looking to add to his impressive trophy cabinet in the months ahead with multiple titles on offer.
MLS Cup
Major League Soccer awards two main trophies for the league season, and the MLS Cup is the most prestigious of the two.
With the MLS season split into the regular season and playoffs, the MLS Cup is given to the champion at the end of the playoffs.
Considered as the most coveted trophy of the league season, Messi can win the MLS Cup, if he can guide Inter Miami to the playoffs, which would be an eye-catching feat based on their 14th place finish in the Eastern Conference in 2023.
Any team that makes the playoffs has a chance to win MLS Cup if they can survive the bracket.
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MLS Supporters’ Shield
The Supporters’ Shield is the second league trophy awarded by Major League Soccer, given to the team that most points during the regular season, regardless of conference.
While the MLS Cup is still awarded to the last team left standing in the playoffs, and is considered to crown the true “champions,” the Supporters’ Shield is often considered a better measure to gauge the best team in the league, given the consistency of excellence required to win the Shield over the course of a long season.
U.S. Open Cup
In a change to previous campaigns, MLS have already confirmed their teams will not be competing in the US Open Cup due to concerns over fixture congestion across multiple competitions.
Inter Miami lost 2-1 in the 2023 final as rivals Houston Dynamo lifted thee trophy in
CONCACAF Champions Cup
This competition for clubs teams is the equivalent of the Champions League in North America with CONCACAF standing for “Confederation of North, Central American & Caribbean Association Football.”
It used to be called the CONCACAF Champions League to align with its sister competitions in Europe, Africa, and Asia, but in 2024 the competition will be reformatted, expanding to 27 teams and taking on a slightly new name.
Inter Miami qualified for the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup by winning the 2023 Leagues Cup.
Only one MLS team has ever won the CONCACAF Champions Cup since 2000, with the Seattle Sounders winning in 2022. LAFC reached the final in 2023, but fell to Mexico’s Club Leon.
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Leagues Cup
The Leagues Cup is a relatively new competition featuring every club in MLS and Liga MX — 47 in total — coming together to decide the best team from the two heavyweight leagues in North America.
Both MLS and Liga MX will take a break from domestic play from late July through late August to contest the event.
It starts with a group stage and then moves to a knockout bracket featuring 32 teams: 30 come from the group stage, and they will be joined by the two league champions from the previous season who receive a bye to the knockouts.
Inter Miami will head into the 2024 competition as defending champions.
MORE: Inter Miami tops Nashville SC on penalties to win 2023 Leagues Cup title
Copa Interamericana
This competition has not yet been officially announced, but there are reports that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL are teaming up together to revive this old tournament.
The tournament was founded in 1968, originally intended as one-match showcase between the continental club champions from each federation.
However, with clubs from both federations featuring in continental competitions from the other (mostly Mexican clubs being invited to participate in the Copa Libertadores), the Copa Interamericana was abolished in 1998.
Now it looks set to be revived in a more modern, expanded format. According to multiple reports, the winners of the previous year’s Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Leagues Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League could come together in a four-team knockout tournament.
As Leagues Cup winners, Inter Miami would be a participant if the tournament is held in 2024.
MORE: A full overview of the reportedly revived Copa Interamericana
Individual awards Lionel Messi can win with Inter Miami
Landon Donovan MLS MVP Award
The most prestigious individual domestic award that Messi could win during his time with Inter Miami would be the MVP award, given out to the best player in a given MLS season.
With Messi only playing half a season in 2023, he was never in a position to challenge for it, with FC Cincinnati star Luciano Acosta named as champion.
The award is named after former USMNT great Landon Donovan, who made his mark with the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy.
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MLS Golden Boot
Like any league, Major League Soccer awards a Golden Boot to the league’s top scorer in a given season.
Again, like with the MVP award, Messi was playing catch up due to his shortened campaign, and he only managed one league goal.
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga won it after scoring 20 league goals, as his team lost to Columbus Crew in the MLS Cup final.
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Can Lionel Messi win the Ballon d’Or?
Messi scooped his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023 on the back of inspiring Argentina to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
A rule change in 2007 means the Ballon d’Or can now be awarded to a player competing in any area of the world, meaning Messi is still eligible in 2024.
However, his chances of lifting No.9 appear to be very slim, with Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham amongst the favourites.
MORE: Lionel Messi’s career Ballon d’Or trophies
