How Lionel Messi can win a trophy with Inter Miami in 2023

Inter Miami has finally made official its signing of Lionel Messi , but he joins a club with a steep hill to climb. Inter Miami currently sits at the bottom of MLS’ Eastern Conference and is in its second full year of league-issued sanctions . 

Deals to reunite Messi with former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have not yet been completed, and by the time any of those three appear in an MLS regular season contest this August, they’ll be part of a team that will be concluding the second trimester of their campaign. 

Here’s what a new-look Miami has left to play for in Messi’s first stateside campaign, and what Messi & Co. will need to do to find some measure of success. 

Despite a forgiving playoff qualification structure that sees 18 of the league’s 29 teams make the postseason, Miami is far from certain to make the MLS Cup playoffs and have a chance to win the league’s ultimate prize: MLS Cup itself. 

One would think the 62% rate of admission makes advancement a foregone conclusion for any team featuring arguably the greatest player of all time. However, Messi’s new club has dug itself into a downright cavernous hole.

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As of July 16, Miami ranks last in the Eastern Conference after earning 18 points from 22 matches. Dismissing manager Phil Neville did little to slow the club’s freefall, as they earned just three points from their five contests under interim coach Javier Morales. On Saturday, Miami lost 3-0 at St. Louis City SC in Tata Martino’s debut with the club.

18 – Inter Miami has 18 points through 22 regular-season matches.

Excluding the shortened 2020 season, none of the 48 teams in the post-shootout era (since 2000) with 22 points or fewer through 22 matches of an MLS