MLS
Only two Inter Miami players named in MLS Team of the Year
The Supporters' Shield champions and Columbus Crew are the only teams with multiple representatives. Is Lionel Messi in the team?
A record-breaking regular season for Inter Miami was quickly halted in the playoffs when they suffered a chastening Round One defeat to unfancied Atlanta United. A team that had over-performed all season had finally hit a wall.
Nevertheless, Inter Miami were one of only two teams to have two representatives in the MLS Team of the Year for 2024. Herons captain Lionel Messi and Jordi Alba were both named in the select XI, which was chosen by players, team staff and journalists and based on their regular season play.
The MLS statement announcing the picks said of Messi’s 2024 performances: “Messi led MLS with 36 goal contributions (fifth in league history) despite playing in just 19 matches amid injuries and Copa América duty."
The other team with multiple players was reigning champions Columbus Crew, who had defender Steven Moreira and Cucho Hernández named in the MLS TOTY. The 2023 MLS Most Valuable Player Luciano Acosta was also named in the team, as was LA Galaxy captain Riqui Puig.
When will the MLS MVP be announced?
Four members of the rather attack-heavy MLS Team of the Year are also in the running for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Christian Benteke, Evander, Cucho Hernández and Lionel Messi are all included, with Luis Suárez completing the five-man shortlist for MVP.
It would seem odd if Suárez were to win MVP, having not made it into TOTY. After Inter Miami’s record-breaking regular season team captain Messi seems like the most likely candidate to win the award.
“I will say after watching that match and the brilliance that is Messi, if and when he wins the MVP award, it will not be a miscarriage of justice,” MLS analyst and pundit Andrew Wiebe said. “It will not be an issue I have throughout the annals of time in MLS history. It will be Messi as an MVP, and it will be just fine.”
But there’s no news yet on the winner and we don’t even have a date on which they will be announced. The MVP award for 2023 was handed out on November 27 but we’re still awaiting the winner of the 2024 edition.
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