"El Pulga" Alone Can’t Secure Glory

Now 37 years old, Messi cannot always maintain his best performance. Nevertheless, the Argentine legend's influence on Inter Miami’s style of play is immense. In the 8th round of the MLS Eastern Conference, following a victory over the Columbus Crew, Inter Miami became the only undefeated team in the 2025 MLS season so far, with 5 wins and 3 draws. With Messi on the field, Inter Miami has earned 18 points in 9 matches, placing them third in the Eastern Conference standings, just one point behind Charlotte FC and FC Cincinnati (18 vs. 19). With a game in hand, a win could send them to the top of the table—something well within reach when Messi is playing.

Messi’s impact isn’t limited to the pitch. His star power is increasingly drawing massive crowds across the U.S. When Inter Miami faced Chicago Fire FC, the "Messi effect" helped the home team attract a record-breaking 62,358 fans to Soldier Field. In the next away match against the Columbus Crew, Messi once again played a role in setting an attendance record. Due to overwhelming ticket demand, the home team had to relocate the match to Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio—a stadium with a 67,431-seat capacity—which sold out completely as fans came in droves to watch "El Pulga" lead his team to victory.

There is a fact that from the moment Messi joined Inter Miami, he helped deliver the club’s first-ever titles. However, Messi alone is not enough. The team's current style relies too heavily on his individual brilliance, which prevents Inter Miami from becoming truly dominant. Their recent 0-1 loss to Los Angeles FC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals is a case in point. Although they turned the tie around in the second leg to reach the semifinals, Inter Miami then lost 0-2 away to Whitecaps and 1-3 at home, crashing out of the tournament.

Inter Miami has now lost three consecutive matches, spanning both MLS and the Concacaf Champions Cup, underscoring the limitations of relying solely on "El Pulga." Still, Inter Miami supporters continue to place their faith in the “divine” feet of the world’s greatest player, hoping he can once again lead the team to glory—this time with the ultimate prize: the MLS Cup. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that Messi alone is not enough to carry a young, ambitious club to the top.