Inter Miami CF’s dazzling forward Lionel Messi was selected the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for the 9th week of the 2024 MLS season. This is Messi’s first Matchday honor in the MLS career.
It is the third time an Inter Miami CF player has won the Player of the Matchday award in 2024 and the only team with various winners. Teammate — Luis Suárez was honored during the 3rd and 5th Matchday.
Messi becomes the first MLS player to score a minimum of five goals and provide at least five assists in the initial five games of a season. Only Thierry Henry achieved it with 11 goals in 2012 while Landon Donovan and Raúl Díaz Arce contributed 10 in 2008 and 1997, respectively.
Messi’s 10 contributions tie him with Real Salt Lake’s Cristian Arango for the most in the conference.
In a pulsating 3-2 win over Sporting Kansas City on the road, Messi scored and assisted in front of 72,610 fans at Germany Education and Health Account Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Additionally, he has been selected to the Starting XI of the matchday team on four occasions this year. The Argentine international was significant in the 18th minute with a scintillating left-foot pass that superbly assisted Diego Gómez to bring his side level before half-time. In the 51st minute, he received a good pass from David Ruiz to score his eighth goal of the 2024 campaign. Messi has five regular-season goals and seven across all league games.
The Player of the Matchday is decided by a vote by people’s and digital communities conducted by MLS Communications. Seventy-five percent of the vote is cast by a council of journalists.