MLS 2024
Despite injuries, Messi is close to a near-impossible MLS record
The Argentine has a goal average similar to that of Carlos Vela from back in in 2019, but injuries have prevented him from making history.
The biggest star in Major League Soccer is Lionel Messi. After arriving at Inter Miami in mid-2023, he showed enormous potential when it came to one day leading his South Florida franchise to the title.
However, injuries have constantly stopped him from doing so and this season the World Cup winner has been slowed down for large parts of the campaign. Luckily, The Herons have worked out how to survive without him in their ranks.
What are Messi’s numbers this season in MLS?
A notable statistic concerning the Fort Lauderdale side focuses on a comparison with Carlos Vela’s 2019 MLS scoring record. That season, the Mexican striker netted 34 goals, earning the Golden Boot with an average of one goal every 80.17 minutes.
In contrast, this year, despite dealing with physical setbacks, the legendary Argentine forward has scored 14 goals, averaging one every 80.35 minutes.
During Vela’s historic season leading LAFC, the Black & Gold’s number 10 played 2,726 minutes across 31 official matches before the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Messi has logged 1,125 minutes in just 13 matches. A more telling statistic is the number of assists: Messi currently has 10, already matching Vela’s total from five years ago.
This season, Messi has so far missed 15 games in North America’s top division due to muscular problems in March, scheduled breaks, his call-up for the 2024 Copa América in June-July, and an ankle ligament injury between July and September. Had he played those games, Messi would likely have boosted his regular-season numbers significantly.
An interesting detail is that Inter Miami’s captain is not far from the current league’s top scorer, Christian Benteke (19 goals), or the top assist provider, Luciano Acosta (15 assists), with his current tally of 14 goals and 10 assists.
He will aim to finish the first phase of the season in top form before heading into the playoffs. While Messi faces strong competition from other players, the quality of Miami’s number 10 allows Las Garzas to dream big.
With the Supporters’ Shield title close after keeping up an impressive pace as the top team this season in the standings, the Fort Lauderdale side must approach go into matches with a huge amount of seriousness and a cool head. Key games include clashes with Atlanta United (Wednesday, 09/18), New York City FC (Saturday, 09/21), Charlotte FC (Saturday, 09/28), Columbus Crew (Wednesday, 10/02), Toronto FC (Saturday, 10/05), and New England Revolution (Saturday, 10/19).