Lionel Messi has been the standout MLS player so far, but the season will be regarded as a failure unless he brings home play-off success to Miami. The Argentine forward has just claimed the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals and is highly tipped to receive the league's Most Valuable Player award again. Should that happen, Messi will become the first player in the 30-season history of the MLS to win it back to back.

But, having failed to defend the MLS equivalent of the league title, the 38-year-old and Inter Miami know everything hinges on lifting the MLS Cup for the first time in their history. The franchise, part-owned by David Beckham and coached by Javier Mascherano, face the first game in a best-of-three series on Friday against Nashville SC, whose attack is led by English striker Sam Surridge.

While the league title may be considered the major prize for clubs around the world, the post-season play-offs are seen as the main piece of silverware in America. This has been the target for Inter Miami since Messi arrived in 2023 from Paris St-Germain, but not yet achieved. In fact, the only knockout competition they have won during his time at the club was the 2023 Leagues Cup - a new tournament that pitted teams from the MLS and Mexico's Liga MX against each other. They have been in seven cup competitions since then and failed to add another trophy, beyond the 2024 Supporters' Shield for topping the overall league table.

Defender Noah Allen, 21, said: "Yeah [it's a failure if Inter Miami don't win MLS Cup]. We have high expectations for ourselves. I feel like we have the highest standard in ourselves and we want to win every trophy possible."

Messi, who has yet to announce if he will play at next summer's World Cup in North America, has already had a major impact at Inter Miami on and off the field. A higher calibre of player has been attracted to the club - renowned names such as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba - to bring greater focus, more fans, more sales, bigger profits to the club and improve chances of success. The club currently sell more shirts than Italian giants Juventus, and Vogue magazine features Messi's shirts as a fashion item, while he is in line to become a co-owner of the franchise when he retires.

On the field, Messi came close in this campaign to breaking the MLS single-season record for goals and assists combined, previously held by former Arsenal forward Carlos Vela. The Mexican managed 49 for Los Angeles FC in 2019, but Messi fell short on 45, consisting of 29 goals and 16 assists in 28 appearances (26 starts). He goes into round one of the play-offs against Nashville having being named MLS's Player of the Month for a third time this season, banked the Golden Boot and on the brink of another MVP award.

But, as he prepares to commit himself to the club for another season, some believe Messi and Inter need to deliver MLS Cup success. Eighteen teams qualify for the play-offs - the top nine from the Eastern Conference and the top nine from the Western Conference - before four rounds ending in a MLS Cup final.

"You can't assemble The Avengers and not win the MLS Cup," two-time Golden Boot winner and former Manchester City forward Bradley Wright-Phillips told MLS Apple TV. "I understand it's very difficult to win it - and their time over here will still be filled with success - but as far as not winning a cup, we're going to judge that."

Fellow Apple TV analyst and ex-Atlanta player Dax McCarty said: "When I look back and reflect on Messi's career, I'm not really going to think about did he win an MLS Cup or not. But his MLS legacy will absolutely be affected whether he wins an MLS Cup or not. If Messi is going to come to MLS and he is going to essentially get the pick of the litter of which former team-mates he wants to bring over here, let's be honest, it's essentially a super team - even if they are on their last legs. You have to consider that."