“MLS Cup Is the Real Champion” – LAFC’s Giorgio Chiellini Says FC Cincinnati Would’ve Done ‘Nothing’ if They Don’t Win the Cup

After a lot of excitement and drama, the 2023 MLS season is close to an end. The winners and the other qualified teams from both conferences are now preparing for the MLS Cup. As we head into the next stage of the competition, LAFC’s Giorgio Chiellini has unexpectedly given his candid opinion on FC Cincinnati, insisting their season would be deemed insignificant if they failed to win the MLS Cup.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami’s MLS season ended prematurely after Lionel Messi and Co. failed to make it to the playoffs of the MLS Cup.

Giorgio Chiellini warns FC Cincinnati over failing to win the MLS Cup

FC Cincinnati was officially crowned the Eastern Conference champions on September 30 after topping the table in just 31 games. Meanwhile, the expansion team, St. Louis, won the Western Conference in its debut season. Now the winners of both conferences, along with the qualified teams, are rallying for the MLS Cup.

Amidst the ongoing matches, Los Angeles FC star Giorgio Chiellini has sent a warning to Cincinnati. In a recent interview, while insisting that the MLS Cup winner is “the real champion,” he said, “Cincinnati was the best team, for consistency, all year. And they deserve to celebrate. But at the end, if they don’t win the Cup, it’s like they’ve done nothing.”

While praising Cincinnati for their character, the defender believes that even though they have won the MLS Supporters’ Shield, if they fail to win the MLS Cup, then their season will be considered meaningless. Interestingly, Chiellini’s own side, LAFC, finished eighth in the MLS table and third in the Western Conference. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Cincinnati will be able to prove Chiellini wrong.

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While teams are rallying for the MLS Cup, players are also aiming for individual accolades. Notably, Messi was recently nominated for a unique award. However, a pundit has dished out his disagreement on that.

Pundit questions Lionel Messi’s nomination

Earlier, Lionel Messi was nominated for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award. However, this didn’t sit well with former USMNT player Herculez Gomez. The ESPN analyst recently dished out his comment on Messi’s nomination for this award on his X. He wrote, “Messi is Messi but you can’t justify him making it as a finalist for this award.” Gomez also added a bit of wit, saying, “Peak MLS.”

Messi delivered remarkable performances during Inter Miami’s Leagues Cup campaign. He bagged a remarkable tally of 10 goals and 3 assists across 7 games, helping Miami secure the Leagues Cup. However, when talking about his MLS performance, Messi managed to score only 1 goal and provide 2 assists in 6 games.

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Do you agree with Giorgio Chiellini?