MLS
Which MLS teams have won a league and Supporters’ Shield double?
Messi’s Inter Miami bring the MLS regular season to a close on Saturday with a place in the postseason and a chance to join a select group of teams who have won the double.
Now that the October international break is over, Inter Miami coach Gerardo Martino has the chance to prepare his team for the final game of the regular season. The Herons welcome the New England Revolution to Chase stadium on Saturday hoping to end this stage of the competition on a high note - a win would also allow Martino’s team to set a new MLS points record. Miami are currently on 71 points and the league record is 73 - and by coincidence they’ll be facing the team that holds that record.
Unlike last season, when they failed to make it to the playoffs, Inter Miami have already booked their place this time around, and so far, are one of three teams who will continue to the next stage (Columbus Crew and Cincinnati are the other two).
Inter Miami gearing up for the postseason
The team has already picked up one trophy this season - back at the start of the month, Inter Miami won the MLS Supporters’ Shield, the prize given to the team that ends the regular phase with the most points across both conferences. Once the New England game is out of the way, the challenge is to focus on winning the main objective, the MLS Cup.
If they are successful, Martino’s men would join a select group of teams who have completed a unique double, winning both the Supporters’ Shield and the league title.
MLS - Liga USA 2024
| Classification | PTS | WM | TM | LM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Inter Miami CF | 71 | 21 | 8 | 4 |
| 2Columbus Crew | 63 | 18 | 9 | 6 |
| 3FC Cincinnati | 56 | 17 | 5 | 11 |
| Upcoming matches | |
|---|---|
| Inter Miami CF - New England Revolution | S-19/10 18:00 |
*Data updated to date Oct 15th, 2024
Which MLS teams have won the double?
For Miami, becoming MLS champions isn’t a foregone conclusion. The main threat will come from defending champions Columbus Crew, who they could theoretically face in the Conference finals.
And the Crew, who are eyeing a double of their own (Leagues Cup and MLS Cup), are one of the few teams who have won both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS title in the same season.
Just five teams in Major League Soccer history have achieved the Supporters Shield and the MLS Cup double: DC United, Sporting Kansas City, LA Galaxy, Columbus Crew, Toronto FC and LAFC.
DC United was the first team to achieve the feat, ending the 1997 regular season top of the Eastern Conference with 55 points (17 wins, 11 defeats) to clinch the Supporters Shield and beating the Colorado Rapids 2-1 in the MLS Cup final. They are also one of two teams to have done it twice - LA Galaxy being the other.
Teams who have completed the MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield double
- 1997 DC United (55 points)
- 1999 DC United (57 points)
- 2000 Sporting Kansas City (57 points)
- 2002 LA Galaxy (51 points)
- 2008 Columbus Crew (57 points)
- 2011 LA Galaxy (67 points)
- 2017 Toronto FC (69 points)
- 2022 LAFC (67 points)
Five players back from international duty
For now, the most important game is the next one and Martino is in a position where he can rotate his roster and reserve players for the playoffs.
Five players from the Fort Lauderdale franchise were involved in this month’s international fixtures: Lionel Messi, Diego Gómez, Leo Campana, David Ruiz and Benjamin Cremaschi. Martino will be keen to see what shape they are in when they return for duty and whether it would be wise to rest any of them this weekend.
Inter Miami bring the 2024 MLS regular season to a close on Saturday 19 October against the New England Revolution, who sit second from bottom in the Eastern Conference (nine wins, 20 defeats, four games tied). The game will be played at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, kicking off at 6 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on Apple TV MLS Season Pass.