Leo Messi is tipping the balance in his favour in terms of titles against Cristiano Ronaldo since both decided to take on a less demanding stage of their careers in the United States and Saudi Arabia. The Argentinian, who already had the Leagues Cup that American clubs play for with Mexican clubs, added to that success by winning the MLS Supporters’ Shield with Inter Miami this morning.
This trophy, official and recognised by international bodies, rewards the team with the best record in the MLS Regular League. Of course, it is a minor title compared to the other 45 that the Argentine already had in his career, but it will allow Tata Martino’s team to have home field advantage throughout the MLS play offs.
As he seeks to win the MLS Cup, the most prized trophy in the United States, Leo Messi has managed to break the title tie with Cristiano Ronaldotaking into account his successes at Inter Miami and those achieved by the Portuguese at Al-Nassr.
The Portuguese was the first of the two to become champions in this new stage of his sporting life. He won the Arab Club Championship on 13th August 2023, scoring a brace in a 2-1 win over Al-Hilal. “Very proud to have helped the team win this important trophy for the first time. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this success from within the team and also to my family and friends for always supporting me,” Cristiano Ronaldo posted after the win.
As the trophy was not organised by FIFA, there were initially disagreements about the official status of the trophy, but the international body ended up recognising it several months later, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to celebrate the 35th title of his career.
Just a few days after that win, on 19th August 2023, Inter Miami beat Nashville on penalties after a 1-1 draw, also with a goal from the Argentinian in the shootout. In the shootout, Drake Callender was the hero for Tata Martino’s side in the 10-9 win. After the win, the No 10 had a few words for his teammates on social media: “Champions! Very happy to win the first title in the history of this club. The work and commitment of everyone made it possible. Let’s hope this is just the beginning.
It was a technical draw heading into the current campaign, with Leo Messi’s side once again outperforming Cristiano Ronaldo’s side in Saudi Arabia. Inter Miami’s regular season title came with the MLS Supporters’ Shield success that the Florida outfit received in the early hours of the morning after a 2-3 win over Columbus Crew. Of course, the Argentinian gave his view of the win to the media covering the tournament: “I’m happy, happy for this group. The truth is that we said it at the beginning of the year: we knew we had the group to fight for this and we took charge from the start because we have the players to do it. Happy to achieve the first objective”.
