Lionel Messi’s numbers in his first season with Inter Miami
The season has ended for Messi and Inter Miami in the MLS and we analyze how the Argentine forward performed.
Lionel Messi moved to MLS to compete and it didn’t take him long to lift his first trophy with Inter Miami - the first title in the club’s short history. Messi was top scorer in the Leagues Cup as David Beckham’s side got a taste of silverware with the Argentine forward.
Messi decided not to renew his contract with PSG and arrived at Inter Miami before former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba joined the club.
When Messi arrived at Inter Miami on July 15, 2023, the team was bottom of the Eastern Conference. Ten goals and an assist from Messi in seven games were enough to help Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup title.
Messi in MLS
He scored on his Major League Soccer debut in a 2-0 win over New York, playing only 30 minutes, however, that was his only goal, as after that, he assisted twice in the win against LAFC, and then came the muscle injury that saw him miss games against Kansas City, Atlanta United, Toronto (came off on 37′), Orlando City, New York City and Chicago Fire.
The former Barcelona captain registered a goal and two assists during in the 2023 MLS season, in which the team coached by Tata Martino missed out on the playoffs.
US Open Cup
Shortly after winning the Leagues Cup, Messi had the opportunity to fight for another title - the US Open Cup - in which Miami reached the final after an epic semi-final against Cincinnati. However, the player from Rosario was unable to play in the final due to injury and his team ended up losing 2-1 to Houston Dynamo.