“One more to go” - David Beckham reacts as Lionel Messi and Inter Miami secure ‘big win’ to lift Supporters’ Shield
Inter Miami celebrated their first-ever Supporters’ Shield title after defeating Columbus 3-2 on Wednesday, October 2. At the heart of the victory was Lionel Messi, who scored a brace, while club owner David Beckham expressed his jubilation on social media.
With a squad capable of competing with the best, Inter Miami have certainly delivered under Tata Martino’s leadership. They arrived into the game eight points ahead of their nearest rivals, Columbus, in the Eastern Conference, and this win virtually sealed the second title in the club’s history.
The first half was chaotic, but Messi took center stage, scoring his first goal in the 45th minute before following it up with a stunning free-kick from 20 yards out in stoppage time. Columbus halved the deficit early in the second half (46'), but Luis Suarez quickly responded with a goal just two minutes later. Despite Columbus pulling one back around the hour mark (61'), the Herons held on to secure the victory.
Since their arrival in MLS in 2020, David Beckham has heavily invested in the team, bringing in star players to improve its quality - a move that has paid off. After the victory, the former Manchester United star shared his delight on Instagram, commenting:
“Big win. One more to go," he noted.
The “one more to go” he refers to is the Audi MLS Cup, which is set to take place after the regular season concludes on October 20. The victory also secured home advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs for the club, as well as qualification for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Messi, meanwhile, has undoubtedly been a key figure, and despite missing a couple of months, he has amassed an impressive 17 goals and 10 assists in just 17 MLS matches this season. Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets also played pivotal roles in helping David Beckham’s side secure the title.
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami sets their sights on MLS Cup
With this Supporters’ Shield trophy, Messi has led Inter Miami to their second piece of silverware, while earning the 46th trophy of his career. Since returning from injury in September, he has been in mesmerizing form, scoring five goals and providing one assist.
However, Messi isn’t content with just the Supporters’ Shield and is already setting his sights on further success as the MLS Cup approaches after the regular season. Speaking to Apple TV after the game, he said:
We knew this was a group that could fight for this. We have a nice opportunity to go down in history and now we think about what is coming. We have a great advantage in that we play all the games at home, which was what we were looking for. I think that we are very, very strong at home." (via AP News)
For now, Messi will leave Miami to join Argentina’s training camp ahead of their matches against Venezuela and Bolivia. He is expected to return in time for the playoff rounds, and both Tata Martino and Inter Miami fans will be hoping he comes back fully fit.