Bar the club’s late-season slump due to Lionel Messi’s absence, the Argentine’s debut season in the MLS couldn’t have gone any better. Messi joined Inter Miami to huge fanfare, and he gave them their money’s worth with amazing performances week-in-week-out, at least until his injury, which kept him out for a few important matches.
Despite his triumph at the 2023 Ballon d’Or ceremony and his delivery of Inter Miami’s first trophy since its inception, Lionel Messi missed out on the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, losing to Giorgos Giakoumakis, Atlanta United’s striker who bagged 17 league goals in his debut season.
Giakoumakis triumphs over Lionel Messi for MLS Newcomer award
There’s no denying how much impact Messi made on the MLS when he joined. The Argentine’s impact was beyond just sporting aspects. Shirt sales and the MLS season pass subscriptions went through the roof, proving Messi’s status as one of the most marketable athletes in the world.
However, he was snubbed for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, as this was given to the 17-goal Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis. The Greek international joined Atlanta United in February from Celtic to replace Josef Martinez, who ironically later became Messi’s best buddy at Inter Miami, although his contract at the club did not get renewed at the end of the season.
Giakoumakis did not just score 17 league goals in the MLS, he also did it in style. He became the second-fastest player in the league’s history to reach double-figure goals in their debut MLS season, scoring 10 goals in just 766 minutes for Atlanta United.
Six of his 17 goals were headers, the second highest in the MLS in 2023. He finished the voting poll with a total of 45.78% to Lionel Messi’s 27.28%, who took second place in the poll.
Messi’s stellar form guided Inter Miami to their first-ever silverware
Messi is a serial winner, and he made that just clear with his early-season form in the Leagues Cup, which he later won with Inter Miami. The signing of Lionel Messi, alongside his teammates from Barcelona, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, helped transform Inter Miami, turning them into a force to be reckoned with in all competitions.
Messi scored the first goal of the Leagues Cup final against Nashville in the 24th minute to put Inter Miami ahead. However, a second-half strike from Fafa Picault forced the game to go to penalties. The battle came down to the two goalkeepers, with Inter Miami’s Drake Callender proving the hero, as Messi and his teammates rushed to celebrate with him.
This was Messi’s 44th trophy, making him the most decorated player in the world, pipping Dani Alves in the process.
Despite rumors of a loan return to Barcelona in the MLS off-season, Messi has pledged his future to Inter Miami in an emotional message to the fans after the last game of the season.
Can Lionel Messi lead Inter Miami to glory next season?
