MLS
Incredible Lionel Messi stats: How many goals has Messi scored for Inter Miami?
The Herons returned to MLS action with a thrilling 3-2 win against Sporting Kansas City over the weekend, inspired by a subline strike by the Argentine.
It is difficult to know how to judge Inter Miami’s form so far in 2024. Just two months in we have already seen the highs - a 5-0 derby demolition of Orlando City - that suggest this Miami side could be real title contenders. But a chastening defeat to the New York Red Bulls just three weeks later only highlighted their inconsistency.
What remains consistent, however, is the incredible form of Lionel Messi whenever he takes to the field for Inter Miami. In just eight 2024 appearances the Argentine has contributed seven goals and four assists. In MLS his scoring record is particularly impressive, with five goals from just over 400 minutes of action so far.
With thanks to out friends at Sofascore, here’s a look at Lionel Messi’s league-leading 2024 performance...
“Leo’s presence transcends any situation, people love football, and we knew something like this could happen,” Herons head coach Tata Martino said, when asked about the steep prices for tickets to Inter Miami games. “This is what happens when you have the best player in the world.”
Why is Lionel Messi so good?
Now in the twilight of a stellar 20-year professional career, Lionel Messi is no longer the all-action dynamic forward that he once was. After playing more than 1,000 senior matches his legs have started to tire, his explosive acceleration has levelled off and injuries, so rarely an issue in the past, have become increasingly common.
As he has aged Messi has adapted his playing style to maximise his strengths, playing in short bursts of game-changing quality. He still ranks highly for key passes and assists but is no longer at the centre of everything for his team. Instead he concentrates his powers and the last of his energy on the moments that define games, like this 25-yard howitzer against Sporting KC last weekend.
So far in 2024 his shot frequency is the second-highest in MLS and his scoring frequency is the best, recording one goal every 81 minutes so far. That lethal finishing and match-winning quality contributes to an all-round Sofascore rating of 8.52, the highest in the league this season.
Can Lionel Messi break the Inter Miami scoring record?
Inter Miami played their first competitive fixture in 2020 and, in little more than four years in existence, no one has scored a great quantity of goals for the Herons. Former Real Madrid and Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuaín is currently the club’s record scorer, with 29 goals from 70 appearances for the club.
In second place is Leonardo Campana, a Designated Player striker still playing for the team but who has lost his place in the starting XI. The 24-year-old has hit 25 goals and sits at number two in the scoring charts, but he could soon be overtaken by his captain.
Just nine months after joining the team Lionel Messi is already Inter Miami’s third-highest scorer, with 18 goals from his 22 appearances. When he joined the club last summer Messi signed a two and a half year deal that will keep him at the club until the end of MLS’ 2025 campaign. With the option of one further year in the offing, it looks like Lionel Messi is destined to claim and hold Inter Miami’s scoring record for some time to come.