Lionel Messi recognized as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets suffer brutal snub

The MLS Best XI for the 2024 play has been announced up of the MLS Cup last betwixt LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls connected Saturday, but determination are 2 glaring omissions

The 2024 MLS Best XI squad was announced by the Major League Soccer, but it near retired 2 large names from Inter Miami - Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. The announcement came up of the MLS Cup last betwixt LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls.

The selection, which has caused rather a stir, was made by media members, league players and nine method staffs. The squad features 7 first-time honourees from 8 antithetic countries and 9 antithetic MLS clubs.

One of the apical clubs is Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami, who finished 8 points wide of Columbus Crew. Despite this, determination was nary spot for Suarez oregon Busquets successful the squad aft their MLS Cup bid came to an extremity with a shock decision to Atlanta United successful the playoffs.

Instead, the guardant spots went to the league's apical scorer - erstwhile Liverpool and existent D. C. United striker Christian Benteke, LAFC's Denis Bouanga, and Columbus' Cucho Hernandez.

Messi was joined by a trio of players successful an antithetic 3-3-4 formation, seemingly designed to accommodate a fig of strikers and appease fans hoping their club's icon would marque the cut. The midfield is heavy attack-oriented, indicating that goals and assists are cardinal factors for the determination makers.

Replacing Busquets successful midfield are FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta, Portland Timbers' Evander and LA Galaxy's Riqui Puig. Acosta earned his 3rd consecutive Best XI enactment aft a career-best 33 extremity contributions, including a league-topping 19 assists.

Evander, who besides provided 19 assists, trailed lone Messi successful full extremity contributions (36) with 34. Former Barcelona prima Puig, meanwhile, achieved a career-high 15 assists this season, helping Galaxy scope the MLS final, though helium volition miss the lucifer owed to an ACL wounded sustained during the Western Conference final.

In defence, Alba is joined by MLS Defender of the Year Steven Moreira, a cardinal portion of a Columbus backline that conceded a club-record debased of 40 goals during the regular season, and Seattle Sounders' centre-back Yeimar Gomez Andrade, whose squad allowed a league-low 35 goals.

The team's goalkeeper, who was besides the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Kristijan Kahlina, had a career-best 12 cleanable sheets and was the past enactment of defence for Charlotte, who conceded the second-fewest goals successful the league. The crushed wherefore much Miami players didn't marque the squad is elemental - they failed to marque a important interaction successful the MLS Cup.

Miami were taken aback by Atlanta United successful the archetypal circular of the playoffs, losing the decisive crippled 3-2 astatine home. Meanwhile, the defence lone managed six cleanable sheets each season, with Alba securing his spot successful the squad mostly owed to the 4 goals and 10 assists helium contributed from left-back.

However, contempt perchance becoming MLS champions for the archetypal clip successful their past aft finishing 7th successful the Eastern Conference, nary Red Bulls players were named successful the team.

MLS Best XI

Goalkeeper: Kristijan Kahlina (Charlotte FC)

Defenders: Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF), Yeimar Gómez Andrade (Seattle Sounders FC), Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew)

Midfielders: Luciano 'Lucho' Acosta (FC Cincinnati), Evander (Portland Timbers), Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)

Forwards: Christian Benteke (D.C. United), Denis Bouanga (LAFC), Cucho Hernández (Columbus Crew), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF).