Lionel Messi, who secured the MLS Supporters' Shield with Inter Miami this Wednesday, expressed his satisfaction with winning the title but made it clear that his focus is already on the next challenge: the MLS playoffs and the fight for the MLS Cup.

"Happy, happy for this group. Honestly, we said at the beginning of the year that we knew this was a group capable of fighting for this, and we took responsibility from the start because we have the players to do it. Thrilled to achieve the first goal, and now we focus on what's next," Messi said in an interview with Apple TV+.

"The first round is three games, but after that, it's a single match where anything can happen. But we'll have a big advantage playing all the games at home, which is what we aimed for. I think we are very strong at home, and when you go to any MLS stadium, it’s not easy. We have a big advantage, but we still need to prove it," he added.

Messi scored two brilliant goals, and Luis Suárez added another in a 3-2 win against Columbus Crew, which secured the MLS Supporters' Shield for Inter Miami with two games to spare. The Supporters' Shield is awarded to the team with the best regular season record and should not be confused with the MLS Cup, the most prestigious trophy in U.S. and Canadian soccer, awarded to the playoff winner.

Despite missing many games due to the Copa América and injuries, Messi has an impressive tally of 17 goals and 15 assists in just 17 MLS matches this year.

"Today we faced a very tough opponent because they are the reigning champions (of both the MLS Cup and the Leagues Cup). They’re a great team, well-coached, and even with one more player (Columbus Crew's Rudy Camacho was sent off), we struggled until the end. That shows what this team is made of," Messi reflected on the thrilling match.

The Argentine also emphasized how Inter Miami transformed with the arrival of head coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino, as well as stars Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and himself.

"With Tata's arrival and when we joined too, the idea was clear from the beginning: we wanted to be protagonists, control possession, and challenge opponents through our play," he said.

"We tried to compete in every match," Messi concluded, highlighting the effort of his teammates in getting through "very tough matches" during the Copa América and through a series of injuries in the squad.