Atlanta had taken the decisive Game 3 and will advance to the semifinal stage. The pyrotechnics were an awkward way to end an otherwise successful season for Lionel Messi’s MLS club. Wait. How can Inter Miami’s 2024 season be considered a success?

Then imagine what MLS commissioner Don Garber and the folks at MLS HQ are experiencing right now. Except in their case, there is no waking up from their worst-case MLS Cup playoff scenario. Inter Miami and its band of stars -- including Lionel Messi -- were eliminated from the postseason by Atlanta United,

After winning the Supporters' Shield and setting a new record for the most points in a season, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are out of the MLS Cup playoffs in the first round following a 3-2 loss to Atlanta United on Saturday.