was a rare instance of Lionel Messi stepping on a soccer field and having no idea what was happening[/b].

There they were, more than 250 Inter Miami academy players, a slew of kids lined up at midfield in a formation that spelled out three letters: MVP. And when Messi saw his children, he realized they were holding a trophy.

That’s how Messi learned he was Major League Soccer’s best player in 2024.

Messi is the MLS MVP, even after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami’s 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina’s national team. He factored into a league-high 36 goals — scoring 20, assisting on 16 others — for the highest rate per 90 minutes in MLS history.

“Truly, it is an honor for me to receive this award from all of you,” Messi told the academy players.

MLS revealed the voting results Friday. Messi edged out Columbus Crew forward Cucho Hernández for the award, which is determined by a poll of players, club technical staff and select media members. The club voters preferred Hernández over Messi by a slight margin; Messi was the choice of 41% of players and 43% of media.

Unless you’re living in the world of global football, it’s hard to imagine the overall appeal and the massive popularity and stardom that Leo Messi has,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who was also at Inter Miami’s stadium for the surprise MVP presentation that occurred Wednesday night. “I mean, he is Michael Jackson meeting Taylor Swift — and he’s playing in our league.

Messi wound up with 38.4% of the average vote, while Hernández got 33.7%. Portland Timbers midfielder Evander (9.2%), D.C. United’s Christian Benteke (7.1%), and Messi’s Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez (2.2%) rounded out the top five in the voting.


Messi’s win capped a 2024 campaign where he led Inter Miami to the Supporters Shield and best regular season record in MLS history, plus captained Argentina to a Copa America title. Inter Miami fell in Round 1 of the MLS Cup playoffs

“I would have liked to receive this award in another situation, being able to play the (MLS Cup) final next Saturday,” Messi said. “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.”

The MLS MVP — named for Landon Donovan — is yet another entry on the absurdly long list of career honors for Messi. He’s an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, eight-time FIFA player of the year winner, a seven-time Spanish league MVP, past UEFA player of the year, past Champions League player of the season, World Cup golden ball winner, Club World Cup golden ball winner, and the list goes on and on and on from there.

Best player ever? It’s tough to argue. Some of the academy players even got to address Messi at the trophy presentation, telling him why he’s their MVP.

“Hi Leo, you are my MVP because you have been my idol since I was a child and seeing you here in person every day is truly incredible,” Inter Miami under-19 player Victor Fung told him. “Thank you for giving us so many unforgettable memories ... thank you for everything.”

Messi stunned many in the soccer world when he picked Inter Miami last year, instantly turning the franchise into one of the game’s biggest brands. Winning the Leagues Cup shortly after Messi arrived gave Inter Miami its first trophy,
https://apnews.com/article/lionel-messi-mls-mvp-b16dbc1aa316b4b130a7e142a82db758

Totally deserved, the GOAT always represents