At age 37, Lionel Messi’s prime should be a distant memory. Instead, the Argentinian icon remains a living legend rewriting expectations by setting records and milestones in Major League Soccer.

Inter Miami, a last-place team languishing in mediocrity before his arrival last summer, is now the favorite to win the MLS Cup. Inter Miami meets Atlanta United at Chase Stadium at Fort Lauderdale on Friday night in the opener of the best-of-three series. The Herons hope the resilient Mr. Messi continues to dominate the opposition the way he has since returning from a recent ankle injury that sidelined him for nearly two months. 

Inter Miami is soaring under his brilliance, setting an MSL regular season record with a staggering 74 points to finish atop the Eastern Conference standings and claim the coveted Supporters Shield for the best regular season record.

The shiny hardware is the 46th trophy of Mr. Messi’s career and the second for Inter Miami since signing a contract averaging between $50 and $60 million, which includes a cut from the league’s media rights deal with Apple TV.

Mr. Messi has been well worth the hefty investment. He helped deliver a Leagues Cup Trophy last year, blended into the South Florida community, and added value to just about everything he touched, including sponsorship deals with the Seminole Hard Rock Casino at Hollywood, Florida.

This year, he and the Herons added the Supporters Shield by compiling a 22-4-8 record with Mr. Messi limited to 19 games due to injuries and time spent with Argentina’s national team. “We have a nice opportunity to go down in history,” Mr. Messi said after clinching the Supporters Shield trophy. “And now we think about what is coming.”

Instead of tiring from a long season that included helping Argentina win Copa America, Mr. Messi enters the MLS Playoffs on a roll. Last week, he scored six goals and added four assists in two matches: Inter Miami’s romp over New England and Argentina’s World Cup qualifier win against Bolivia.

He also scored two goals in Inter Miami’s victory over defending MLS champ Columbus, which clinched the Supporter Shield trophy.

For the season, Mr. Messi led Miami with 20 goals and 16 assists and is among the finalists for the MLS Most Valuable Player award. He managed to be productive despite missing 15 games with Inter Miami either playing for Argentina’s national team or the two months he was sidelined with an ankle injury suffered during Copa America.

“He missed some time this year with us, the Copa America, injuries, and for him to come back and still have that impact, he had a great year,” Inter Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender told reporters. “There are plenty of other players across the league who had great years as well. But the fact that he did what he did this year was pretty amazing.”

The addition of his buddy Luis Suarez helped. Mr. Suarez, Mr. Messi’s teammate with Barcelona, joined Inter Miami this year and collected 20 goals. He is also among the finalists for the league’s MVP award.

Inter Miami’s ownership has spared no expense. Guided by co-owners Jorge and Jose Mas along with team President David Beckham, the club led the league in spending at $41.7 million. Toronto was a distant second at $31.8 million.

Fans didn’t escape the financial wave. The least-expensive season ticket in 2023 went to $884 from $485 in 2024, according to Pro Soccer Wire. Other sections went to $1,020 from $745.

The increase in ticket prices not only helps fund the payroll but also the construction of the new Freedom Park Stadium at Miami. The 25,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium was originally set to open for the 2025 season. Now that has been pushed back to 2026. Whether Mr. Messi is still with the team remains to be seen. His current contract with Inter Miami expires after the 2025 season.