Why Inter Miami may not receive the Supporters' Shield trophy

Inter Miami has collected their second trophy in their short history as a Major League Soccer club. The latest triumph came on Wednesday night as the Herons earned the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield by beating the Columbus Crew. Miami won the match thanks to goals from superstar duo Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

Messi started the scoring with a pair of goals just before the halftime break. Columbus cut their opponent’s lead in half just moments into the second half of the game. Nevertheless, the Uruguayan striker essentially put the game out of reach with a goal just two minutes later. The hosts would add another score in the latter period, but it would not be enough to overcome the early onslaught by Miami.

The victory, and subsequent Supporters’ Shield, means that Miami will finish the 2024 MLS season with the best record. This comes even though the club still has two more matches remaining in the regular season.

Although Messi has battled injury issues, Miami has only lost four of their 32 league fixtures. The club’s other trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, also came after the Argentine superstar signed on last summer.

Miami does not have an ISC-certified supporter group

Immediately following the big win, Miami celebrated with the trophy in the locker room. Nevertheless, the club may not be able to actually keep the shield moving forward. The Supporters’ Shield was created by the Independent Supporters Council (ISC) three years after the league began play. It is also not owned by MLS.

Miami’s potential issue with the trophy comes down to the fact that they do not have an official supporters group that is part of the ISC. Because of this, there have been claims that the club and their fan base cannot actually receive the trophy and use it in a trophy celebration at future home matches.

ISC did, however, congratulate the club on its triumph on their official X account. Despite this, it remains unclear what Miami can do with the shield following the immediate post-game bash.

The club still has time to fix the issue in the coming weeks

The problem is not exactly cut and dried, though. Miami has two major supporter groups that are not currently part of the ISC: Southern Legion and Vice City 1896. Either of these groups can still be officially certified by the organization in the coming weeks.

Following their recent triumph, Miami announced plans to celebrate the big achievement on October 19th. This comes as the club will host their final MLS regular season game of the year. Miami faces the New England Revolution.

In the announcement, Miami proclaimed that they would have the shield inside Chase Stadium ahead of the game. “This historic achievement is dedicated to you, the passionate supporters who have fueled us all season,” read a statement from the team. “We’ll be presenting the shield to our fans before kickoff, recognizing your unwavering dedication to the club.”

Regardless of what happens with the actual trophy, Miami has automatically booked a place in next season’s CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Herons will also be the number-one seed in the upcoming MLS playoffs as well.

PHOTO: IMAGO.