Lionel Messi of Inter Miami Named MLS Most Valuable Player

Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has been named Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player. His club, Inter Miami, also secured the MLS Supporters’ Shield in October. The forward, who previously played for Barcelona and Paris-St Germain, contributed to Inter Miami achieving a record points total during the regular season. However, his team was subsequently eliminated in the first round of the MLS Cup play-offs in November. The 37-year-old recorded a league-best 36 goal contributions, comprising 20 goals scored and 16 assists provided. This accolade was awarded despite injuries restricting Messi to only 19 regular season and two play-off appearances for Miami during the current year. The MVP for the league is determined through votes cast by players, club technical staff, and journalists. Messi garnered 38.43% of the votes, surpassing Cucho Hernandez of Colombus Crew, who received 33.7%. Officially designated as the Landon Donovan MLS MVP, the award has a history of being presented to players such as former United States midfielder Donavon, the Republic of Ireland’s Robbie Keane, and Spain’s David Villa.