On-fire Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick of the week and Luis Suarez scored twice as Inter Miami beat the New England Revolution 6-2 to smash Major League Soccer’s regular season points record and confirm their participation in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

Miami’s win in their final game of the regular season took them to 74 points – one more than the previous record, set by New England in 2021.

Messi, who came off the bench in the 58th minute and led the late flurry of goals, has now scored 20 goals in 19 appearances in MLS with his former Barcelona teammate Suarez also notching 20, from 27 games.

The challenge of breaking the record added some spice to the final game of the regular season with Inter having already secured the Supporters’ Shield for the best record in the regular season to stamp themselves as clear favourites in the MLS Cup playoffs which start next week.

Miami had trailed 2-0 until Suarez scored twice before half-time to help Gerardo Martino’s team level at the interval.

Goals from Argentinian Luca Langoni and Colombian Dylan Borrero in the 34th minute had the home crowd chanting for Messi’s introduction from the bench, but it was Uruguayan Suarez who began the comeback with a firm left-foot finish.

Then Suarez levelled with a fine solo finish, making space for himself and switching to his right foot before drilling home.

Messi, who had scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Bolivia on Tuesday, came off the bench in the 58th minute and immediately helped put the team ahead finding Jordi Alba, who set up Benjamin Cremaschi for a tap-in.

New England thought they had drawn level with a goal from striker Bobby Wood but the effort was disallowed for handball following a VAR review.

Messi then made it 4-2, collecting a back-heeled pass from Suarez before brilliantly blasting into the far bottom corner.

The Argentinian was on target again when he latched on to a superb pass from Jordi Alba and made no mistake, completing his hat-trick in the 89th minute when he met a volleyed cross from Suarez with a precise first-time finish.

Messi’s three goals came within 11 minutes, and after his two-month injury absence after the Copa America, he now looks back to his best.

At the post-game celebration of the Supporters Shield success, club co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas were joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who announced that the Shield had earned the team a place in the 2025 Club World Cup.

Club World Cup gets Messi boost
Miami will take the qualification slot designated for the host nation.

“Inter Miami qualifies as the host country representative team on the basis of the club’s outstanding and consistent 34-match campaign that saw them secure the shield with two MLS matches to play,” FIFA said in a statement.

The official champions of MLS are determined by the MLS Cup playoffs, which begin next week and conclude with the final on December 7.

Miami are the favourites to win the playoffs, but the FIFA decision to select the regular season winners ensures the involvement of the Argentinian superstar.

The participation of the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is a much-needed boost to the profile of the new-look tournament, which FIFA hope will capture the imagination of the global television audience as well as fans in the United States before the World Cup in 2026.

The competition could pit Messi against top European club opposition for the first time since he left Paris Saint Germain last year to move to Miami.

The 32-team tournament will feature title-winning teams from each of FIFA’s continental confederations.

Players’ union FIFPRO and the European Leagues body filed a joint complaint to the European Commission against FIFA over the introduction of the tournament into the international match calendar.

Opponents of the new tournament have said it adds further congestion to an already crowded schedule and increases the workload of players.

Source: Al Jazeera 

BDST: 1318 HRS, OCT 20, 2024
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