(MENAFN) Lionel Messi has undoubtedly been the standout player in Major League Soccer (MLS) this season, but his success will be deemed incomplete unless he leads Inter Miami to a play-off victory.

The Argentine forward recently secured the MLS Golden Boot, having scored 29 goals, and is a strong contender to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award for the second consecutive year.

If Messi does claim the MVP title again, he will make history as the first player in the MLS’s 30-season history to win the prestigious award in back-to-back years.

However, despite his personal achievements, Messi, along with Inter Miami, faces a critical challenge in the form of securing the MLS Cup, the one major honor that has eluded them so far.

The team, which counts David Beckham as a partial owner and Javier Mascherano as their coach, is set to play the opening match in a best-of-three series against Nashville SC this Friday. Nashville's attacking line is spearheaded by English striker Sam Surridge.

While many consider the league title to be the ultimate goal for clubs globally, in the U.S., the post-season play-offs hold greater significance as the primary source of silverware.

This has been Inter Miami’s target since Messi's arrival in 2023 from Paris St-Germain, although the team has yet to achieve this goal.

To date, the only knockout competition that Inter Miami has won during Messi’s tenure was the 2023 Leagues Cup, a newly-established tournament that saw MLS teams face off against Liga MX clubs from Mexico.

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