Lionel Messi and Inter Miami have won the MLS Supporter's Shield… and now the real journey begins

Lionel Messi, a man of notoriously few words, said it best himself.

“First goal scored,” the Inter Miami superstar said on Instagram. “We move forward with the desire to achieve more together.”

These 14 words are perhaps the perfect summary of Inter Miami's season. It was never going to be as easy as those with only superficial knowledge of their star-studded squad might think. But to be honest, they were expected to at least win two MLS trophies this year. They secured one on Wednesday night, lifting the Supporters' Shield with a 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew – their arguably biggest rivals for the MLS Cup title.

And that's all very nice. Messi can say he won the No. 1 trophy. 46, extending his record. Miami is establishing itself as the mathematically best team in the league. But this recognition — given to the team with the best record in MLS — is the first part of a much larger goal. The real work, the real pursuit of the first MLS Cup in franchise history, begins now.