Inter Miami unveiled its first trophy before Wednesday’s MLS match against visiting Nashville, whom the Herons defeated in penalty kicks on August 19 to capture the Leagues Cup title.

Lionel Messi & Co. shared the moment with the growing number of Herons fans, many of whom have jumped on the bandwagon amid the team’s nine-game unbeaten streak. The Argentinian World Cup champion has netted 11 goals over that team, turning Inter Miami into one of the biggest attractions in American sports.

The seven-time Ballon d’or winner raised the trophy alongside DeAndre Yedlin, the veteran right back who served as the team’s most recognizable player before Messi’s arrival.

The ceremony and its accompanying fireworks display did not last long, but the Miami crowd – which included boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. – seemed to revel in the moment.

Then, with the Cup raised and the fans eager fore more action, attention quickly turned to Messi’s second MLS game.

It’s sufficient to say that Messi is responsible for this moment. Going into Leagues Cup play, Inter Miami were in shambles after firing Phil Neville and only just getting the wheels turning with Tata Martino.

But the arrival of Lionel Messi – as well as Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – provided this team with a much needed injection of talent to bring them to the next level.

That was proven in the first group stage game against Cruz Azul – where none of the ‘Barcelona three’ started the match.

But when Messi and Busquets were substituted on – and Miami was 1-0 up thanks to Robert Taylor – there appeared to be an instant increase in quality.

It was Messi that broke a deadlock with Cruz Azul thanks to a sublime free kick in stoppage time to win the game and get the ball rolling.

Messi proved that the win wasn’t a fluke – scoring back-to-back braces in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United and a 3-1 win over rivals Orlando City in the Round of 32.

Then came what may have been the biggest thriller of the whole tournament – a 4-4 cracker of a match where Messi scored first, but Dallas took back control.

At 3-1 down, things looked hopeless for Inter Miami. A goal from Benjamin Cremaschi cut the deficit back down to one but only for a brief second before Robert Taylor committed an own goal.

But with ten minutes remaining in normal time, Messi stepped up and did what he does best – score through free kicks. The first was a forced error from Dallas’s Marco Farfan – who headed a Messi free kick into his own net. The second was a sublime effort that tied the game.

In penalty kicks, a miss from Dallas’s Paxton Pomykal was the only slip up and sent Miami to the quarterfinals.

Both the quarterfinal and semifinal matchups were not close contests for Miami – as they beat Charlotte 4-0, then Philadelphia 4-1 to meet Nashville in the final.

Again, Messi took the first goal for Inter Miami, but Nashville countered with Fafa Picault.

Once more, penalties were required. This time the proceedings went down to goalkeepers – where Miami shot stopper Drake Callender scored, then saved to secure the title.

It had only been a matter of weeks, but Messi already clinched some silverware for his new club. Today, he celebrated that accomplishment as he looks towards more in the near and distant future.