Lionel Messi is nominated for MLS' MVP award, but should he be? Our writers debate whether the Inter Miami star deserves to win

Lionel Messi making it onto the shortlist for this year's MLS MVP grant has sparked large controversy.

Not truthful overmuch owed to his inclusion, but due to the fact that the Inter Miami superstar is the overwhelming favourite to beryllium crowned winner.

After lone featuring 18 times for Miami truthful acold successful the regular season, galore judge Messi is not deserving of an grant handed retired to the league's champion subordinate implicit the people of an full campaign.

Others, however, are convinced helium is the astir evident campaigner aft registering 17 goals and 15 assists successful conscionable 1,453 minutes of action.

So should Messi beryllium named MVP? DailyMail.com writers person made the lawsuit for and against Leo adding yet different grant to his collection.

The lawsuit against Messi (Jake Fenner) 

First off, it needs to beryllium made wide that Lionel Messi has been - by acold and distant - the champion subordinate successful presumption of axenic scoring output successful MLS this season. Messi's deed treble digits successful some goals (17) and assists (10), his 1.77 goals and assists per 90 is implicit 0.5 points amended than everyone other successful the league, and he's done each of that portion lone playing conscionable 18 games.

Which is precisely wherefore helium should not triumph the 2024 MLS Most Valuable Player Award.

Take a look astatine the sanction of that award. 'Most Valuable' does not mean 'Best Player'. Sure, by axenic mean extremity contributions, Messi has the tract bushed - but he's missed A LOT of time.

There's a superior statement to beryllium made that owed to each the injuries he's accumulated and each the clip he's missed, Messi's interaction connected Inter Miami has not been arsenic beardown arsenic the remainder of his teammates. At the clip of publication, Messi's played little than 1,500 minutes for the Herons. How invaluable tin a subordinate beryllium if he's been disconnected the tract for somewhat little than fractional the games his squad has played?

Put it this way. In the 18 games Messi has played, he's won 11 games, drawn six, and mislaid 1 for a full of 39 points and 2.16 points per game.. Without him, Inter Miami has won 10 games, drawn 2, and mislaid three. More losses, but a akin points-per-game people astatine 2.13.

This is to exemplify the constituent that adjacent without their champion player, Inter Miami has done perfectly good successful Messi's absence. His worth to the squad is there, but it's not arsenic precocious arsenic different players passim the league.

Take Christian Benteke astatine DC United arsenic a cleanable example. The Screaming Eagles are (at the clip of publication) tied connected points and successful imaginable information of falling retired of the playoffs wholly - with a shocking -15 extremity difference. But Benteke has scored 23 of DC's 52 goals this play - making him the apt victor of the league's aureate footwear and being (arguably) the main crushed wherefore the squad has immoderate accidental of making MLS Cup Playoffs.

Other players similar Evander astatine the Portland Timbers (15G+18a), Cucho Hernandez of the high-flying Columbus Crew (19G+13a), oregon Luciano Acosta of FC Cincinnati (league person successful goals+assists with 33 combined) person each played importantly much minutes than Messi and person had conscionable arsenic cardinal a relation successful their respective sides' propulsion for the playoffs.

Even Messi's teammate astatine Inter Miami, Luis Suarez, has scored much goals than the Argentine portion logging astir 400 much minutes than him this season. He's carried the load portion Messi has been absent and deserves a outcry for MVP.

Do I expect Lionel Messi to triumph the award? Yes, due to the fact that by mean he's the champion subordinate successful the league this year. But if I was voting, I could not successful bully consciousness formed my ballot for a subordinate who has been absent for truthful agelong considering determination are truthful galore others who person done conscionable arsenic good (if not better) for their teams.

The lawsuit for Messi (Oliver Salt)

Even portion juggling nine shot with a hectic planetary docket and respective fittingness problems, a 37-year-old Lionel Messi is inactive the astir invaluable subordinate successful Major League Soccer by immoderate distance.

His numbers talk for themselves. In conscionable 1,453 minutes of enactment this play for Eastern Conference leaders Inter Miami, the eight-time Ballon d'Or victor has inactive made 32 extremity contributions, moving retired arsenic astir 1 each 45 minutes.

The lone players to person produced much extremity contributions truthful acold successful 2024 are FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta (34) and Portland Timbers' Evander (33). Yet Acosta has done truthful portion racking up 2,617 minutes, portion Evander has played 2,369 minutes.

That works retired arsenic 1 extremity publication each 72 minutes for Evander, who is 8 years Messi's inferior astatine 26, and 1 each 77 for Acosta, who is inactive successful his premier astatine 30 years of age.

Given the wounded troubles helium continues to look aft precocious turning 37, it speaks volumes astir the unrivalled interaction Messi is inactive having connected the tract successful MLS that his attacking output is caput and shoulders the champion successful the league.

Yes, helium has not been arsenic heavy progressive for Miami this season. But it is not Messi's responsibility that helium remains skipper of Argentina, a work which has forced him to miss 5 games unsocial successful 2024. Evander and Acosta, meanwhile, bash not adjacent gain call-ups for Brazil and Argentina respectively.

Even Columbus' Cucho Hernandez, who besides has 32 extremity contributions this word having played 2,056 minutes, has not played for Colombia since 2023.

Excluding his presumption arsenic 1 of the astir marketable players successful MLS history, it is inconceivable to manus retired an grant to the astir invaluable commodity successful the league and snub Messi fixed however invaluable helium is inactive proving connected the field.

When acceptable and firing, and not distant connected planetary duty, the Barcelona large remains the undisputed king of the part some athletically and commercially.

He is the lone logical prime for the coveted award.