Lionel Messi has been sensational with Inter Miami, but beyond dazzling fans and media in his start to club life in the United States, he has also been critical to the team's competitive revival.
Messi's arrival immediately coincided with Inter Miami's first-ever trophy in the Leagues Cup
For his next trick, Messi is helping Inter Miami dig out a deep hole with his sights on the MLS postseason. It's no small feat as Inter Miami sat in dead last in the Eastern Conference.
Incredibly, it seems they have a real chance to chase down a playoff spot. Having secured 10 points through their first four games of the stretch run, Inter Miami now looks like a real contender set to jet up the standings.
Here's a closer look inside how they've managed to climb back into the MLS playoff race.
MORE: Lionel Messi goals, stats, and more for 2023/24 season with Inter Miami and Argentina
Current MLS Eastern Conference table, standings
Inter Miami currently sit 14th in the Eastern Conference, having gained considerable ground in the playoff race.
While there are a number of teams they must still overtake to reach a playoff position, they sit just six points out of ninth place, which secures the final postseason berth.
NOTE: The first tiebreaker in Major League Soccer is not goal differential, but instead total number of wins, while goal differential is the second overall tiebreaker.
Table last updated entering Sunday, September 17
| Pos. | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | FC Cincinnati | 28 | 58 | 17-7-4 | +14 |
| 3. | New England | 28 | 48 | 14-9-6 | +13 |
| 2. | Orlando City | 28 | 50 | 14-8-6 | +11 |
| 4. | Philadelphia | 27 | 47 | 14-5-8 | +16 |
| 5. | Columbus Crew | 28 | 45 | 13-6-9 | +16 |
| 6. | Atlanta United | 29 | 45 | 13-9-8 | +11 |
| 7. | Nashville SC | 27 | 40 | 11-7-9 | +5 |
| 8. | FC Montreal | 28 | 36 | 11-3-13 | -10 |
| 9. | D.C. United | 29 | 35 | 9-8-12 | -1 |
| ---- | --------------------- | --- | --- | ------ | --- |
| 10. | Chicago Fire | 28 | 33 | 8-9-11 | -10 |
| 11. | Charlotte FC | 27 | 32 | 7-11-9 | -9 |
| 12. | NYCFC | 29 | 31 | 6-13-10 | -8 |
| 13. | NY Red Bulls | 28 | 30 | 7-9-12 | -9 |
| 14. | Inter Miami | 27 | 28 | 8-4-15 | -12 |
| 15. | Toronto FC | 28 | 22 | 4-10-14 | -17 |
Eastern Conference standings when Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami
When Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami, the club sat bottom of the MLS standings, having failed to win a single game for 11 straight matches.
They sat 12 points clear of a playoff spot with 12 games remaining on their league schedule, a massive gulf between themselves and a postseason berth.
| Pos. | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 11. | Charlotte FC | 23 | 26 | 6-8-9 | -10 |
| 12. | NY Red Bulls | 23 | 26 | 6-8-9 | -14 |
| 13. | NYCFC | 24 | 26 | 5-11-8 | -11 |
| 14. | Toronto FC | 24 | 19 | 3-10-11 | -17 |
| 15. | Inter Miami | 22 | 18 | 5-3-14 | -14 |
Inter Miami MLS record since Lionel Messi joined
Lionel Messi's introduction at Inter Miami has been nothing short of a resounding success.
Here's a breakdown of each MLS game since Messi came aboard.
- Aug. 26: New York Red Bulls 0, Inter Miami 2
- Aug. 30: Inter Miami 0, Nashville FC 0
- Sep. 3: LAFC 1, Inter Miami 3
- Sep. 9*: Inter Miami 3, Sporting Kansas City 2
- Sep. 16**: Atlanta United 5, Inter Miami 2
*Messi did not play (international team duty with Argentina)
** Messi did not play (rested)
Messi's arrival, along with that of Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Facundo Farias, Kamal Miller, David Ruiz, Diego Gomez, and Tomas Aviles in the summer, plus the hire of manager Gerardo Martino, has brought new life to the struggling club.
| Before Messi | Since Messi | Diff | |
| Games | 22 | 5 | — |
| Pos | 15th | 14th | +1 |
| Points | 18 | 28 | 10 |
| Points/Game | 0.8 | 2.0 | +1.2 |
| Goals | 22 | 10 | — |
| Goals/Game | 1.0 | 2.0 | +1.0 |
Note: The "Since Messi" category includes all games following Messi's arrival at Inter Miami, including games in which Messi did not play.
