Messi looks ahead after Inter wins MLS Supporters

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (USA), AP: This was how 2024 started for Inter Miami: Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, all former Barcelona teammates who won multiple titles together, sitting side-by-side after the first official training session of the new season. And, here's the latest scene: Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets were sitting together again Wednesday night, holding their newest prize — the Supporters Shield, the trophy given to the top regular-season team in Major League Soccer.

Inter Miami will be the No. 1 seed for the MLS Cup playoffs, the team wrapping up that spot with a 3-2 victory at the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night. It was the league's most-hyped regular season match of this season, maybe the most-hyped in a long time. “I'm happy,” Messi said. “Happy for this group.”