In the final game of the 2019-20 La Liga season, Barcelona defeated Alaves 5-0, and in that match, Riqui Puig earned his first La Liga assist for the Catalan giants. He played a simple, yet accurate, pass to the feet of Lionel Messi, who danced past a defender and the goalkeeper to slot home for their second goal of the game.
It was the only time they ever connected for a goal on the pitch, and for Puig, it was just one of 57 total senior appearances he would make for the club. Messi, meanwhile, made 778 across his storied career in Spain.
It was a brief overlap in time, a small moment in each footballer's career. However, it was a moment of impact; and now, four years on, both Puig and Messi craft their trade in MLS. Instead of feeding each other passes in and around the opposition box as teammates, though, they're direct competitors who stand in the way of each other achieving greatness in 2024; lifting MLS Cup.
Messi and Inter Miami are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Galaxy are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, they largely say on the top seed for most of the season, letting it slip from their grasp on Decision Day.
Seeding wouldn't matter much if the two teams were to face off in the MLS Cup though.
The South Beach club lifted the MLS Supporters' Shield in record-breaking fashion , and both Messi and Luis Suarez are 2024 MLS MVP nominees. Barring something unexpected, Miami will host the MLS Cup final. So considering all of that, who will stop them from storming the playoffs and lifting the championship trophy?
Well, the answer - four years on from that shared moment between Puig and Messi - might just be the Galaxy, who began their MLS Cup journey with a 5-0 smashing of the Colorado Rapids in game one of their Best-of-3 series.
GOAL looks into Messi's success in 2024, what makes LA so special this season, and how a potential meeting in MLS Cup could be awaiting the ex-Barcelona teammates.
