After winning Inter Miami’s MVP award for the 2023 season, Lionel Messi has added another honor to his already impressive trophy collection over the past 12 months.
- MVP of Inter Miami is Messi.
- He’s had an incredible start to his MLS career.
- won the eighth Ballon d’Or
WHAT HAPPENED? Messi joined Miami in June following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, but the team declared him their most valuable player for the 2023 campaign on their website. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has undoubtedly had a huge impact; in his first 14 games with the team, he has tallied 11 goals and eight assists.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Messi is undoubtedly the most well-known player to have won Inter Miami’s MVP award; past winners include Gonzalo Higuain and Lewis Morgan. The World Cup victory in Qatar helped the Argentina captain win the trophy, and the announcement comes just days after he achieved an incredible eighth Ballon d’Or. Messi failed to lead Inter Miami to the MLS playoffs, but he did inspire them to win their first trophy—the inaugural Leagues Cup. In actuality, the 36-year-old only managed one goal in six MLS games and was sidelined by injury for the majority of their remaining games.
FUTURE PLANS FOR MESSI? Messi is expected to aim to “win everything” in 2024, and he is expected to start his first full season with Inter Miami in excellent form. This should scare opponents. Messi, however, will concentrate for the time being on helping Argentina maintain their perfect record in 2026 World Cup qualifying, as they have games against Brazil and Uruguay scheduled for this month.