Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have crafted the most outstanding regular season in Major League Soccer history.

Messi contributed three goals and an assist in the second half alone, while Luis Suárez scored a pair of first-half goals, leading Inter Miami to a 6-2 victory over the New England Revolution on Saturday night. This win culminated in an MLS-record 74 points for the season, surpassing the Revolution's 2021 record by one point. This was Messi’s first hat trick for Inter Miami, a significant milestone for the Argentine superstar who joined the team midway through the 2023 season.

With a 22-4-8 record in league play, Inter Miami concluded the season with a .765 winning percentage, another MLS record. Previously, four teams had achieved a .750 winning percentage: DC United (24-8) and the LA Galaxy (24-8) in 1998, LAFC (21-4-9) in 2019, and New England (22-5-7) in 2021. Now, Inter Miami holds the top spot in both points and the best win-loss-tie record. Additionally, they became the eighth team in MLS history to complete a regular season with only four losses, tying another record.

Messi, who played approximately 35 minutes and scored three times on Saturday, finished the regular season with 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 matches. Suárez reached 20 goals in his inaugural MLS season, his timely strikes helping Inter Miami overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero scored for New England, but the remainder of the match belonged to Miami.

After the match, a stage was erected on the field to celebrate the Supporters’ Shield win, which Inter Miami had secured earlier this month on the road. Pink confetti filled the air as the final whistle blew. Suárez’s brace tied the game by halftime, and Benja Cremaschi scored the go-ahead goal in the 58th minute, with Messi assisting just seconds after entering the match.

There was a brief scare in the 74th minute when Messi was fouled, causing him to yell in pain and clutch his right ankle. However, he quickly recovered, scoring two goals within two minutes in the second half, transforming a 3-2 lead into a 5-2 rout. Suárez assisted Messi for an easy score in the 89th minute, completing the hat trick.

Next for Inter Miami is Game 1 of a best-of-three first-round series at home on Friday night, marking the club’s first home playoff match. FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that Inter Miami will participate in the tournament, a decision influenced by Messi’s global popularity and the tournament’s planned matches in South Florida.

The event, held every four years, includes 32 teams from FIFA’s six soccer confederations. Inter Miami will play in the tournament opener on 15 June 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The tournament concludes on 13 July at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, the site of the 2026 World Cup final.

Other US host cities for the Club World Cup include Atlanta, Cincinnati, Nashville, Charlotte, Orlando, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, and Seattle. Twelve European teams will participate, along with Boca Juniors, Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, and River Plate from South America; Leon, Monterrey, Pachuca, and the Seattle Sounders from North America; Al Ahly, Esperance, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Wydad from Africa; Al-Hilal, Al Ain, Ulsan, and Urawa from Asia; and Auckland City from Oceania. Inter Miami is the 31st team in the field, with the final spot to be determined on 30 November at the Conmebol Libertadores final in Buenos Aires.

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