For the primary time in Membership historical past, Inter Miami CF has gained the Supporters’ Protect. The group clinched the very best general 2024 MLS common season with a 2-3 win over the Columbus Crew at present; a brace from captain Lionel Messi, a aim from striker Luis Suárez, and a penalty save by Drake Callender secured the historic consequence for the group. The trophy secures the highest seed within the Japanese Convention and home-field benefit all through the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs for Inter Miami.
Because the Supporters’ Protect winners, Inter Miami certified to compete within the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, marking the second-straight season the group will take part within the competitors; the group reached the quarterfinals of the competitors in 2024. Inter Miami can nonetheless safe a bye to the Spherical of 16 of the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup by profitable the 2024 MLS Cup.
The group will host a house playoff recreation for the primary first time in Membership historical past when it faces the winner of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Japanese Convention Wild Card match between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds within the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Spherical One Finest-of-3 Sequence. Inter Miami will host the primary recreation of the collection and the third, if crucial, at Chase Stadium, and the group’s opponent will host the second recreation of the collection. The Spherical One Finest-of-3 Sequence schedule might be finalized upon the discharge of the total Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs schedule.
Debuting in MLS in 2020, Inter Miami is now solely the sixth lively membership to win Supporters’ Protect inside its first 5 seasons within the league; it’s also the seventeenth completely different membership within the league’s 29 seasons to earn the Supporters’ Protect. Since increasing the common season to 34 video games in 2011, Miami is simply the third group to win the Supporters’ Protect after lacking the playoffs within the earlier season, becoming a member of LAFC in 2022 and the San Jose Earthquakes in 2012.
Head Coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has led Inter Miami CF to a record-breaking season wherein the Membership recorded historic stats. The spectacular achievements embody changing into the third-fastest membership to earn a playoffs berth and dominating the league by recording probably the most wins, objectives and factors in Membership historical past (with matches to spare).
In his second 12 months on the helm, Martino has orchestrated a historic turnaround for the group, going from twenty seventh within the Supporters’ Protect race in 2023 to first in 2024. He has led Inter Miami to a 20W-4L-8D document with a +25 aim differential with two common season matches remaining. The Supporters’ Protect marks Martino’s ninth trophy as a supervisor in membership soccer and fourth as an MLS head coach.
The group has additionally been guided by contributions from its various group of gamers, together with international superstars Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba; native Academy merchandise Benjamin Cremaschi, David Ruiz, Ian Fray, and Noah Allen; MLS SuperDraft picks Yannick Vivid and Leo Afonso; younger up-and-comers from the world over like Diego Gómez, Federico Redondo, and Tomás Avilés; prime-aged veterans with profitable expertise like Julian Gressel and Matías Rojas; stalwart goalkeeper and group chief Drake Callender; and every part in between.
Notably, Messi has starred all through the common season, tallying a stellar 17 objectives and a team-high 15 assists in simply 17 matches. Suárez has additionally performed a pivotal function for the facet in his first season with the Membership, main the group in objectives with 18 this common season, and including six assists. The duo produced a number of particular person standout moments en path to the Supporters’ Protect as they grew to become the primary pair of teammates in MLS historical past to win MLS Participant of the Matchday honors a minimum of 3 times every in a single season.
With two common season matches remaining, Inter Miami is chasing the MLS single-season factors document. The group might want to win each of its remaining video games to interrupt the New England Revolution’s whole of 73 factors from 2021, concluding with a Determination Day matchup towards New England:
- Saturday, October 5 at Toronto FC (4 p.m. ET, MLS Season Cross on Apple TV)
- Saturday, October 19 vs. New England Revolution (6 p.m. ET, MLS Season Cross on Apple TV)
Under is the record of all-time Supporters’ Protect winners, as sorted in reverse chronological order.