MLS pundit Matt Doyle has said only one team in the division are currently better than Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami.
The Herons have started the 2024 season in good form, with Tata Martino’s side currently looking like a safe bet to qualify for the MLS playoffs and potentially win the Supporters Shield.
With Inter Miami also in the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, there’s a lot to be excited about in regards to the Florida franchise this year.
Inter Miami ranked only the second-best MLS team in 2024
Yet speaking on MLS’ Extratime, Doyle ranked reigning MLS Cup champions the Columbus Crew over Inter Miami, with the Ohio-based franchise having a similar record to the Herons this year.
Doyle said when asked why Inter Miami are ranked lower than the Columbus Crew: “[I have] Miami at number two, which I know is going to be controversial in some quarters.
| 2024 record | Games won | Goals scored | Goals conceded |
| Inter Miami | 4 | 22 | 17 |
| Columbus Crew | 4 | 13 | 9 |
“They’re juggling a really tough schedule, they’re going to Monterrey midweek with the intention of winning. This team is out for blood after what happened in that first leg.
“We’ve seen them win against good teams without Messi this year, they have obviously taken some hits in terms of the squad health, but things are getting better now.
“These two teams [Columbus Crew and Inter Miami] when they put the hammer down, they play at a level that I don’t think anyone else in the league can match.”
Inter Miami know they need to do more work across the pitch
Being ranked just the second-best team in MLS might seem like an insult to some Inter Miami fans given the amount of sheer star power the Herons possess.
Yet given how leaky the Florida franchise are, it’s perhaps no real surprise that more work needs to be done before Martino’s side can be considered the best in MLS.
Indeed, the Columbus Crew are one of the most complete teams in North America and currently deserve their title as the best side in MLS, and Inter Miami still need some work to do if they’re to compete with the reigning MLS champions.