Lionel Messi vs Hany Mukhtar: stats, trophies, awards and salary

The 2023 Leagues Cup reaches its dramatic conclusion on Saturday evening as Nashville SC take on Inter Miami in the final at Geodis Park.

There is little doubt that the two finalists are deserving of their place in the final after a month of thrilling action. Nashville and Miami also boast two of the outstanding performers in this year’s tournament: Hany Mukhtar and Lionel Messi.

Both players are central to their team’s style of play and have been the difference makers on their way to the final. Ahead of tonight’s final, we take a look at Messi vs Mukhtar.

Remember, Nashville SC vs Inter Miami is available on the streaming platform Apple TV, via the subscription service MLS Season Pass.

Messi vs Mukhtar: League Cup stats

Although they typically play in slightly different positions both Messi and Mukhtar are at the very heart of their side’s attacking play. Messi has tended to start on the right wing and drift inside, while Mukhtar is a more traditional Number 10.

Messi, playing closer to the opposition goal, has been in incredible goal-scoring form for Inter Miami. He has struck nine goals in six games and leads the Leagues Cup scoring charts.

Mukhtar has played slightly deeper and taken on more of the creative burden for his team. His five Leagues Cup assists is bettered only by Minnesota United’s Emanuel Reynoso. Mukhtar is also in second place for key passes, recording 15 in six matches.

Messi vs Mukhtar: Individual awards

There are few players in the history of the game who can compete with Lionel Messi’s haul of individual awards. The 36-year-old holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards (seven) and most European Golden Shoes (six), amongst a plethora of other gongs.

He was named the LaLiga Best Player on six occasions and finished as the league’s top goal scorer in eight seasons. He has been named Argentine Footballer of the Year 15 times.

Hany Muhtar may not be able to compete with Messi’s incredible collection, but in recent seasons he has hoovered up the individual awards in MLS. He was named in the MLS Best XI in 2021 and 2022 and played in the MLS All-Star game in 2022 and 2023.

Last season was his most impressive to date as he finished the year with the MLS Golden Boot and MLS Most Valuable Player award.

Messi vs Mukhtar: Salary

The two talismanic figures in the League Cup final could well be the two most talented players in MLS. However they have very different global profiles and are compensated very differently for their efforts.

According to the MLS Players Association, which lists official player salaries, Hany Mukhtar receives a guaranteed compensation package of $3.2 million from Nashville. This is the 17th-highest salary listed by the Association.

As a designated player, Messi’s salary is not listed on the Association’s registry but the club have confirmed that the Argentine will receive a guaranteed salary of $54 million per year.

However the deal that brought Messi to MLS also included a provision that gives him a cut of new subscriptions to the league’s MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. If the nascent subscription service continues to grow at its current rate Messi will soon be earning far more than the base salary rate.