The special thing about Lionel Messi is that he always manages to deliver regardless of his surrounding circumstances. His move to Inter Miami after the lackluster spell at PSG breathed new life into his career, and there was no better place to find love again than in a new city where he would eventually be granted a god-like status.
Messi’s quality shone brightly through his first season at Inter Miami, and despite his injury troubles in the latter stages of the campaign, the Argentine has managed to be crowned his team’s MVP for the 2023 season, which is another win following his eighth Ballon d’Or triumph a few weeks ago.
Lionel Messi secures Inter Miami’s MVP for 2023 season
Life in Miami has undoubtedly been a good one for Lionel Messi, who has had a great time since joining the Florida-based franchise in the summer of 2023. The Argentine was snapped up on a free transfer and instantly became the center of attention in the city, drawing top celebrities from across the country to watch him play football, including basketball legend LeBron James.
Despite the extra attention, Lionel Messi put in a good shift for his new club, scoring a wonder free-kick goal on his debut before going on a goalscoring run that saw him help his team to their first title when they won the 2023 Leagues Cup in August.
His efforts for the club did not go unnoticed, as he was rewarded with the club’s MVP award for 2023 despite only playing six league games. Injury problems may have marred Lionel Messi’s end to the season, but his early contributions of 11 goals and eight assists in 14 games did not go unnoticed by his new club.
Messi is the fourth recipient of the award, which was first handed out to Lewis Morgan in 2020. Gregore and Gonzalo Higuain are the other winners of the prestigious club award.
Is Lionel Messi going to play vs Uruguay in World Cup Qualifiers?
With the regular MLS season now over for 2023, Messi can now go into the international break with undivided attention as he hopes to help his country qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States after being called up to the national team for the next round of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil.
Messi completed football when he won the World Cup last year, cementing his spot as the greatest soccer player in history. His quest to help his country defend their World Cup trophy continues as Argentina hosts Uruguay in their fifth World Cup qualifier on Thursday.
This will be the toughest period for Messi and his teammates as second-placed Uruguay looked to upset Brazil in the last international break in 2023. Argentina will also travel to Brazil, where they’ll hope to extend their lead in the group as they’ve gone four games unbeaten, scoring seven goals and conceding none.
Messi scored a brace in their last 2-0 win over Peru in the last international break to make it his 31st qualifier goal, breaking Luis Suarez’s record in the process.
Can Lionel Messi extend his goalscoring run in the qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil?