Lionel Messi closed the 2024 MLS regular season with a spectacular salvo as Inter Miami broke the single-season points record.
Messi came off the bench to score an 11-minute hat-trick as the Florida franchise crushed New England Revolution in a 6-2 Decision Day victory that ensured their MLS-best haul of 74 points.
It means the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner enters postseason with an incredible record of 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 MLS appearances this season. Only 15 of those have been starts as the veteran Argentina star has grappled with fitness issues.
Messi missed out on the Golden Boot award to former Liverpool man Christian Benteke, but will his performances be enough to be crowned MLS MVP for 2024?
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Did Lionel Messi win MLS MVP in 2024?
The individual numbers alone give Messi a strong claim for the Landon Donovan MVP Award, while his transformative impact on Inter Miami and the wider league could also weigh heavily on voters, with the 37-year-old making good on his legendary status since moving Stateside.
Messi's old Barcelona ally Luis Suarez has made a seamless transition to life and his two goals and a pair of assists against New England took the Uruguay striker to 29 direct goal involvements in the regular season.
Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernandez and reigning MVP Luciano Acosta, who excelled once again with FC Cincinnati, are also in the running alongside Golden Boot winner Benteke, while LA Galaxy's Riqui Puig is another Barcelona alumni on the 34-player shortlist.
MLS MVP nominees 2024: Landon Donovan Award candidates
- Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati)
- Cristian Arango (Real Salt Lake)
- Artur (Houston Dynamo)
- Christian Benteke (D.C. United)
- Federico Bernardeschi (Toronto FC)
- Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
- Roman Burki (St. Louis City)
- Cristian Espinoza (San Jose Earthquakes)
- Evander (Portland Timbers)
- Matt Freese (New York City)
- Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps)
- Daniel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union)
- Carles Gil (New England Revolution)
- Cucho Hernandez (Columbus Crew)
- Kristijan Kahlina (Charlotte FC)
- Saba Lobjanidze (Atlanta United)
- Hernan Lopez (San Jose Earthquakes)
- Josef Martinez (CF Montreal)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- Djordje Mihailovic (Colorado Rapids)
- Lewis Morgan (New York Red Bulls)
- Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders)
- Rafael Navarro (Colorado Rapids)
- Martin Ojeda (Orlando City)
- Lucas Orellano (FC Cincinnati)
- Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC)
- Samuel Piette (CF Montreal)
- Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)
- Jonathan Rodriguez (Portland Timbers)
- Santiago Rodriguez (New York City)
- Albert Rusnak (Seattle Sounders)
- Luis Suarez (Inter Miami)
- Facundo Torres (Orlando City)
- Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps)
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Who votes for MLS MVP?
Major League Soccer opened its Year-End Awards nomination process on September 24, with the window running through to October 1.
MLS players and club technical staff, along with media members — including The Sporting News — were then able to vote for one nominee from the 34-player shortlist during the voting period that spanned October 7-21.
This means many ballots might already have been cast before Messi's Decision Day heroics. The voting window closed on October 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
To be eligible, a player must have played at least 1,000 minutes during the 2024 MLS season. Messi did not overshoot this mark by a substantial margin, racking up 1,486 minutes either side of his injury and international duty absences.
