Below is a selection of the notable performances and moments from the 14 matches played on Decision Day, October 19, which concluded the 2024 MLS regular season and set the stage for the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, which kicks off on Tuesday, October 22 with the Eastern Conference Wild Card match between CF Montréal and Atlanta United (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
In total, 52 goals were scored on Saturday night, marking the highest-scoring final day of the regular season in MLS history. The high-scoring Decision Day contributed to a record-setting 1,552 goals scored during the 2024 regular season.
For more information on the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, CLICK HERE.
Marvelous Miami Sets MLS Single-Season Points Record
On Decision Day 2024, Inter Miami CF made MLS history, setting the single-season record with 74 points by defeating the former record-holders, the New England Revolution, 6-2. The 74 points surpassed the previous record of 73 set by the 2021 Revolution. Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi, who became the first player in MLS history to score a hat trick and record an assist as a substitute in the match, lifted the Supporters’ Shield trophy in front of the home fans, marking his 46th different major career trophy.
After the match, FIFA President Gianni Infantino announced that FIFA had named Inter Miami CF as the host country representative in 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, and they will join Seattle Sounders FC as the MLS clubs competing for the trophy next summer in the United States.
- Photo and video assets of Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield celebration will be available **HERE**.
- Video of FIFA President Gianni Infantino announcing Inter Miami as the host country representative in 2025 FIFA Club World Cup is available **HERE**.
Miami fell behind in the second minute after a goal by the Revolution’s Luca Langoni (Watch Here) before the Revolution doubled their lead in the 34th minute through Dylan Borrero. The Herons came back quickly through Luis Suárez, who scored twice in quick succession in the 40th (Watch Here) and 43rd minute (Watch Here). Miami then took the lead in the 58th minute as Jordi Alba and Messi combined to set up homegrown Benjamin Cremaschi for a 3-2 lead (Watch Here).
Messi then sealed the match with his 18th and 19th goals of the season, the first coming after a terrific passing combination with Suárez in the 78th minute (Watch Here) and the second three minutes later to make it 5-2 (Watch Here). He finished off his hat trick in the 89th minute after connecting with an acrobatic volleyed cross to complete his sensational performance (Watch Here).
Inter Miami CF will kick off Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series action against the winner of the Eastern Conference Wild Card match in a standalone match on Friday, October 25 (8:30 p.m. ET) exclusively and for free on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV .
The Field is Set in the East
With two spots on the line in the Eastern Conference entering Decision Day, CF Montréal and Atlanta United punched their tickets to the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday night. The two clubs will face each other in the Eastern Conference Wild Card match, which will take place on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
CF MontrĂ©al earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and hosting duties for the Wild Card match courtesy of a 2-0 victory over New York City FC at Stade Saputo. MontrĂ©al received first-half goals from Caden Clark (Watch Here) and Josef MartĂnez (Watch Here) while punching their first ticket to the postseason since 2022. MartĂnez finishes the season with a team-best 11 goals and 116 in his eight-year MLS career, the seventh-most in MLS history.
The road to the playoffs was winding for Atlanta United entering Saturday, as the club needed to record a victory and receive help in other matches to clinch a postseason berth. But two quick goals from Saba Lobjanidze (7’, Watch Here) and Jamal Thiaré (16’, Watch Here) gave the Five Stripes all the cushion they needed in a 2-1 victory over Orlando City SC, which moved the club to 40 points (10-14-10) on the season. Based on a goal-differential tiebreaker advantage over D.C. United, Atlanta leapt into the ninth position in the Eastern Conference.
MartĂnez will lead a MontrĂ©al squad against his former club in Atlanta United as the two teams battle for the right to face Supporters’ Shield winner Inter Miami CF in the Round One Best-of-3 Series, which kicks off on Friday, October 25.
LAFC Clinches No. 1 Seed in the West
Needing a victory, a loss from cross-town rivals LA Galaxy, and overturning the goal differential tiebreaker, LAFC emerged from Decision Day as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference after a 3-1 victory over San Jose and a Houston Dynamo FC win over the Galaxy. LAFC has finished as the top seed in the Western Conference in three of their seven seasons of MLS play (2019, 2022) and will await the winner of the Western Conference Wild Card match between No. 8 seed Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the No. 9 seed Portland Timbers on Wednesday, October 23 (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, TSN, RDS).
Trailing 1-0 into the second half, LAFC’s star forward Denis Bouanga once again came up big, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 64th minute (Watch Here). Bouanga, who finished the season with 20 goals, is the fourth player in MLS history to score at least 20 goals in consecutive seasons and the first since Zlatan Ibrahimović and Josef MartĂnez in 2018-19. Eleven minutes later, Eduard Atuesta scored the go-ahead goal (Watch Here), before Marlon, on an assist from Atuesta, recorded the score that clinched the top seed in the 91st minute (Watch Here).
D.C. United’s Christian Benteke Captures Golden Boot
D.C. United forward Christian Benteke captured the 2024 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi after scoring a league-high 23 goals, besting the next-closest scorers in MLS by three goals. Benteke finished ahead of Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez (20 goals each), 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga of LAFC (20 goals), and the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernández (19 goals) to earn the honor.
- Highlights of Benteke’s MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi-winning season are available HERE
- Photo assets of Benteke and the Golden Boot presented by Audi trophy are available HERE
- Assets from tonight’s match, including soundbytes from Benteke, will be available HERE
In his third MLS season, Benteke is now the third D.C. United player to win the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, joining Dwayne De Rosario (16 goals in 2011) and Luciano Emilio (20 goals in 2007). The Belgian striker is the third player in club history to score at least 20 goals in a single season, joining RaĂşl DĂaz Arce (23 in 1996) and Emilio. Of note is the 6-foot-3 forward’s aerial prowess, as Benteke’s nine goals from headers is tied for the second-highest single-season total since 2005.
Benteke scored in bunches this season, tying for the league lead and setting a single-season club record with six multi-goal games. He accounted for 44.23 percent of the club’s goals in 2024 – the highest mark in MLS this season – and was the only player to score at least 40 percent of his club’s goals this year. Since making his MLS debut on Aug. 31, 2022, only Denis Bouanga (41) has scored more goals than the Belgian.
FC Cincinnati and Real Salt Lake Earn Concacaf Champions Cup Berths
FC Cincinnati and Real Salt Lake qualified for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup as the next-highest ranking teams in the Supporters’ Shield standings following each club’s respective win on Decision Day 2024.
Cincinnati came out on top on the road against the Philadelphia Union by virtue of a come-from-behind, 2-1 victory for their 11th away win of the season. With the win, Cincinnati tied Inter Miami CF (2024) and CF Montréal (2022) for the most away wins in a single regular season (excluding the shootout era) and clinched the club’s second consecutive berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Salt Lake also mounted a come-from-behind, 2-1 victory to secure their first qualification for the Concacaf Champions Cup since 2015 and the fourth overall in club history. RSL drew level with Vancouver Whitecaps FC courtesy of 2024 MLS Young Player of the Year nominee Diego Luna’s eighth goal of the season (Watch Here) before taking the lead in the 83rd minute through an own goal.
The other MLS clubs joining FC Cincinnati and Real Salt Lake in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup so far are the Colorado Rapids (Leagues Cup 2024 third place), Columbus Crew (Leagues Cup 2024 champion), Inter Miami CF (Supporters' Shield winner), LAFC (Leagues Cup 2024 runner-up), LA Galaxy (Supporters' Shield standings), Sporting Kansas City (2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup finalist), and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2024 Canadian Championship champion).
The final 2025 Champions Cup spot will be awarded to the 2024 MLS Cup presented by Audi champion. If the champion has already qualified, the next highest team in the Supporters' Shield standings (Seattle Sounders FC) will earn the berth.
