Inter Miami traveled to New York on Wednesday night to face NYCFC in MLS league action. Once again, Lionel Messi stepped up to the moment with both a goal and an assist in the team’s 4-0 win.
Remaining Schedule
Due to the Inter Miami’s involvemnt in both the Club World Cup and knockout stage of the Leagues Cup, the team has some ground to make up in the final weeks of the season with rescheduled fixtures. As things stand now, Inter Miami sit 5 points behind Supporters Shield leaders Philadelphia Union with two games in hand. Inter Miami’s final stretch consisit of an away fixture vs. Toronto, home matches against Chicago, New England, and Atlanta, before finishing the season on the road versus Nashville.
Should Lionel Messi Win MVP?
Following his brace vs. NYCFC, Messi currently sits as the leader of the Golden Boot race in the MLS. Messi finished 4th in last year’s Golden Boot race with 21 goals, two behind Christian Benteke’s 23.
Along with goal scoring ability, the Argentine also sits 3rd in the league in assists with 11. With a potential Supporter Shield trophy along with 35 (and counting) goals and assists, many see Messi as the favorite to become the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVP awards.
Playoff Hopes
Despite winning two trophies during his time at Inter Miami, Messi is still chasing the most important one — his first MLS Cup. In 2023, Messi joined in the midst of a poor season, which saw Inter Miami miss the playoffs entirely. Last season, as Supporters Shield winners, Inter Miami were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by Atlanta United. It was a disappointing end to the season, and many will expect to see a better postseason performance from Miami this season.
For more English content, check out our Ballon d’Or piece.
