Lionel Messi has been nominated for Major League Soccer’s MVP Award for 2023, despite playing in only four league matches for Inter Miami. The Argentine superstar arrived in Miami in July and helped his team win the Leagues Cup. However, he has only started three times in the regular league season and made one appearance off the bench due to injury. Despite this, Messi has been included in the shortlist of 30 players for the ‘London Donovan MLS MVP’ award, along with teammate Sergio Busquets, and 27 other players for the Newcomer of the Year trophy. Some fans have raised questions about whether Messi deserves his place among the greats yet, considering that other players in the league have played in as many as 32 MLS games this season.
During this season, Lionel Messi had four appearances in MLS where he showcased his impressive dribbling skills while holding the ball.
The famous Argentinian football player has been absent from the last four matches of Inter Miami due to injury. There is no doubt that he has had a significant commercial impact on MLS, with jersey sales skyrocketing and an Apple TV documentary series about his arrival set to be released soon. On the field, Messi has scored one goal and provided two assists in MLS, with his only goal coming in the game against New York Red Bulls when he came off the bench in the second half. Other notable contenders for the MLS MVP award include Messi’s fellow Argentinian teammate Thiago Almada, his former Barcelona teammate Riqui Puig, and current top scorer LAFC’s Denis Bouanga.
He left a lasting impression in the Leagues Cup, contributing to Inter Miami’s historic first trophy win.
Messi and his spouse, Antonela, are in the process of settling down in their new life in South Florida. Despite being forced off the pitch just 37 minutes into last month’s game against Toronto, Messi has yet to play for Inter Miami since then. He sat out of matches against Orlando City, Houston Dynamo (which was a defeat in the US Open Cup final), New York City, and most recently, Wednesday night’s 4-1 loss to Chicago Fire. The latest outcome has dealt a significant blow to Inter Miami’s aspirations for the playoffs, as they are currently five points behind a wildcard spot with only three games left to play.
