No narrative in sports is more pervasive than that of the star player, who bears not only the weight of expectation but almost singlehandedly affixes relevance competitions of their choice. The bigger star, the larger they loom – MLS marked the eve of the first round of the playoffs by celebrating Lionel Messi's contract extension with Inter Miami , the World Cup winner once again positioned to be the central focus of the postseason.

The league's most fascinating and entertaining quirk, though, is that stars have a spotty track record. It is not just that Messi has yet to win MLS Cup in his third season with Miami; in recent years, MLS' top distinction has mostly been won by teams without a globally-recognized talent leading the way. Gareth Bale was the last to do so with LAFC in 2022,

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