Inter Miami wins first-ever Supporters' Shield with 3-2 win over Columbus Crew
MIAMI - Inter Miami CF has claimed their first-ever Supporters' Shield after a thrilling 3-2 victory over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night, ensuring Lionel Messi and his teammates will finish atop the 2024 MLS regular-season standings.
Lionel Messi scored twice in the final minutes of the first half, goalie Drake Callender stopped a penalty kick in the 84th minute.
It was Messi's 46th major trophy won for club or country, extending his record for the most by any men's soccer player in history. And it becomes the second he has won with Inter Miami, this Supporters Shield being added to the Leagues Cup trophy the Herons claimed shortly after Messi joined the club in 2023.
Luis Suarez also scored for Miami.
Inter Miami secured the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. This guarantees home-field advantage throughout the playoffs at Chase Stadium, should they advance to the MLS Cup on Dec. 7.
The Herons, led by head coach Tata Martino, have also earned a spot in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Additionally, the team has the chance to break the MLS single-season points record, currently held by the New England Revolution, who set the mark at 73 points in 2021. To surpass that, Inter Miami must win their final two regular-season matches:
Inter Miami will now make history by hosting a playoff game for the first time when they face the winner of the Eastern Conference Wild Card match between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds.
The team's Round One Best-of-3 series is set to kick off in late October, with the full postseason schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.