Inter Miami star Lionel Messi emerged winner of the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player Award for the 2024 MLS season on Friday, beating the Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández, the Portland Timbers’ Evander, Christian Benteke from D.C. United and his Inter Miami teammate Luis Suárez to .
The 37-year-old Argentine legend earned the honour after helping Miami achieve a historic points tally, securing the club’s first-ever Supporters’ Shield.
He finished the regular season with an impressive 36 goal contributions, scoring 20 goals and providing 16 assists in just 19 matches, the most in the league.
MLS commissioner Don Garber made the announcement Friday alongside Inter Miami Academy students and Messi’s three sons in a video.
“Truly, it is an honor for me to receive this award from all of you,” Messi said to the Academy players.
“It’s a source of pride to watch you all train. I’m very happy to be here every day. I’m very happy to be in this city, in this Club that is growing. It’s a pleasure to see you grow day by day. I invite you to keep fighting and striving for your dreams,” he said.
Messi’s MVP recognition comes despite battling injuries throughout the season, which limited him to just 19 appearances.
This was his first full season with the club, having joined in July 2023.
Miami’s season, however, ended on a sour note with a surprising first-round exit in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Messi joins Carlos Vela in 2019 (LAFC, 34 goals, 15 assists) and Sebastian Giovinco in 2015 (Toronto FC, 22 goals, 16 assists) as the only players in league history with at least 20 goals and 15 assists in a single season. He is the 10th South American to win the MVP award and the fifth from Argentina, after Luciano Acosta, Diego Valeri, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and Christian Gomez.
The MVP award is determined by a poll that includes players, club technical staff and selected members of the media. Messi received 38.43 per cent of the votes averaged compared to second-place finisher Benteke (33.70 per cent).
