Imagine missing 15 games in a season and still managing to rack up 30+ goal contributions in just 19 matches! That’s the incredible feat Lionel Messi achieved and won the ‘Landon Donovan MVP Award’ while captaining Inter Miami to a record 74-point finish and their first-ever Supporters’ Shield title. The Argentinean made history by becoming the only player in history to win the MVP award on 10 separate occasions.

Paying his first full season in the United States, many doubted how Lionel Messi would perform. However, time and time again, the 8-time Ballon d’Or winner proved his critics wrong. While 2nd placed Cucho Hernández stood out in the club vote category, receiving 37.50% compared to Messi’s 31.25% total votes, former American soccer player Jalil Anibaba defended Messi on CBS’s ‘Morning Footy’ program. 

“Lionel Messi, there’s absolutely no surprise that he’s the MLS MVP,” said the ex-Columbus Crew player, adding, “People are always gonna look at oh, he only played 19 games, but he scored 20 goals and had 16 assists, his ability to always score and to always affect games to me, I have no issues, no surprise that he is the MVP.” Jalil also elaborated on how people believed Messi’s status would guarantee him the MVP but urged those critics to focus on his numbers for Inter Miami this season. 

“Some people have looked at this and said, oh well, of course, it’s a foregone conclusion, you’re going to give it to Lionel Messi, because of who he is, no it goes to Messi, because of what he did this season.” With the MVP award, Lionel Messi now has 79 individual awards to his name, making him the most decorated player in football history. In the 19 games that he played this season, Messi averaged an MLS record of 2.18 goal contributions per 90 minutes, while ‘The Herons’ lost only one game in the regular season with him in their lineup. 

“We’ll come back stronger”—Lionel Messi 

While Messi and Co. dominated most of the season, Inter Miami was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United, who won the best-of-three series, 2-1. As many labeled it as the biggest upset in MLS History, with former Barcelona teammate Javier Mascherano being named the new Inter Miami head coach, Messi hopes for a different result next year. 

“I would have liked to receive this award in another situation, being able to play the (MLS Cup) final next Saturday,” Messi said when receiving the MVP award, as he continued, “But that’s also what football is about, overcoming yourself every day. We had a big dream of being MLS champions this year. It didn’t happen, but next year we’ll come back stronger to try again.”

Considering Messi and Mascherano’s time at Barcelona, where they won 2 Champions League trophies and 4 La Liga titles, silverware is likely to follow next season. Wherever Messi goes, he has consistently won personal and team awards, and fans are hopeful that this trend will continue until the GOAT decides to call it a day and hang up his boots.