Inter Miami, powered by Lionel Messi, has secured a playoff berth, but the work’s just begun. Slipping up now losing points isn’t an option and keeping their foot on the pedal is crucial for playoff dominance. Let’s unpack why Miami’s momentum matters more than ever right now.

The playoff system favors the teams with higher seeding, where they will receive the much-needed home-field advantage in high-profile matches. Every point matters to get the best seeding. This helps Inter Miami play at home during the playoffs. Star players like Messi can energize the team and fans when playing at DRV PNK Stadium. Dropping points now will make Miami play harder away games. This can hurt their chances of going far in the playoffs.

With Messi as captain, they have a strong chance to break the MLS record for most points in a season. This will be a huge milestone for Inter Miami to reach, they will need at least 10 points from their final four matches to break the MLS record for most points achieved in one season. The New England Revolution currently holds the record with 73 points in 2021.

The Herons’ dominance­ in the current MLS season can be­ attributed significantly to the stellar pe­rformances of Lionel Messi and Luis Suare­z. Although Messi missed out on several matches, these two players e­merge as strong MVP contende­rs. However, Taylor Twellman brings an inte­resting perspective­ on their team’s depth. Twe­llman argues that while Messi and Suare­z are crucial the success of Inte­r Miami largely stems from having the most tale­nted and profound roster in MLS history. This depth of tale­nt may overshadow the individual brilliance of Me­ssi and Suarez as the MVP typically recognize­s players who are vital to their te­ams success. Twellman subtly suggests that anothe­r MLS player might be more de­serving of the MVP accolade.

Which teams will Inter Miami face next?

Inter Miami, led by Lionel Messi, will play Charlotte this Saturday. After that, they’ll face Columbus Crew, Toronto, and New England. Messi recently returned from an ankle injury that he got during the 2024 Copa America final. He’ll play his third game since July. Coach Gerardo Tata Martino will be careful with his team rotation. He has a full, healthy squad to work with.

MLS expert Matt Doyle, speaking on Extratime, has predicted that Inter Miami will struggle to break New England’s points record with only four games remaining, including a challenging match against the formidable Columbus Crew. 

For Coach Tata Martino, Columbus Crew is the strongest team in MLS after they knocked out Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup earlier this summer and after reaching the finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier in the year.