The U.S. Open Cup: is there any competition Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has played in and not won?

Lionel Messi’s transformative effect on Inter Miami has been clear for all to see. Before the former Barcelona star had made his debut, David Beckham’s side hadn’t won in 11 matches and had lost 14 of 22 MLS games, a record which leaves them bottom of the Eastern Conference and the overall standings. After the Argentina captain stepped onto the field for the first time against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, The Herons won five games and drew two (triumphing in penalty shootouts) to win their first ever trophy.

Messi won the “new and improved” Leagues Cup at the very first attempt, only a matter of weeks after officially joining the club. And he has more than a realistic chance of doing the exact same thing as the U.S. Open Cup resumes on Wednesday, when Inter Miami will take on FC Cincinnati in the semi-finals at TQL Stadium in Ohio.

When is the final of the U.S. Open Cup?

Given the form the Florida team are in, they’ll be confident of another victory, especially with Messi having notched 10 goals in his seven matches on American soil. The winner of the last-four clash will go on to face either Houston Dynamo or Real Salt Lake in the final, which will be played on Wednesday 27 September.

How many major honours has Messi won?

Following The Herons’ Leagues Cup final win over Nashville SC, it was reported that Messi had won his 44th major honour, overtaking former teammate Dani Alves as the player to have won the most. That number is perhaps slightly dubious, however, as it includes Barcelona’s 2005 Spanish Super Cup victory, which the Argentine didn’t actually play in (he also missed the 2006 Champions League final but did pick up a medal after playing in the previous rounds).

Which competitions has Messi won his career?

In any case, the bottom line is that Messi has won plenty of trophies in his time, but are there any competitions he has played in but not won? The U.S. Open Cup could fall into the category, but would it be on its own (we’re not counting friendly tournaments here)?

Barcelona

You probably don’t need reminded that Messi won multiple LaLiga titles (10) and Champions Leagues (four), while he also topped up his overall tally with Copas del Rey (seven), Spanish Super Cups (seven or eight, depending on how you view that 2005 win), UEFA Super Cups (three) and FIFA World Club Cups (three).

Perhaps he featured in the UEFA Cup/Europa League somewhere along the way? Incredibly enough, Barcelona’s played in Europe’s second club competition the season before he made his debut and didn’t participate in it again until the one after he left.

Argentina

Up until 2021, by which time he was 34, Messi’s international career had looked set to be remembered for near misses as much as anything else. La Albiceleste lost in the 2014 World Cup final, as well as the 2015 and 2016 Copa América finals. However, all good things come to those who wait, as they say, and “La Pulga” secured his status as a national hero by leading the team to unforgettable victories in the 2021 Copa América and the 2022 World Cup.

Messi has also won a Olympic Gold medal (2008) and a FIFA U-20 World Cup with his country. If we’re being harsh, we could count the South American U-20 Championship in 2005, when Argentina finished third.

Paris Saint-Germain

So far, so good (other than youth events), but what about Messi’s relatively ill-fated spell in Paris? The former Barça star only scored six league goals and 11 times in all competitions in 2021-22 but still managed to win Ligue 1. He then repeated the feat in a much-improved second season and added a Trophée des Champions (the French Super Cup).

But everything falls apart because of the Coupe de France/French Cup, the only (senior) competition Messi has played in and not won. Having lifted the trophy the two previous seasons, PSG lost to Nice on penalties in the round of 16 in 2021-22 and were beaten at the same stage by arch-rivals Marseille 12 months later.

If Messi goes on the lift the U.S. Open Cup with Inter Miami, will the Coupe de France keep him awake at night?