Yuya Kubo wins MLS Player of the Matchday: How many has Messi won?

FC Cincinnati star Yuya Kubo was named MLS Player of the Matchday after a stunning game-winning hat trick against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Cincy were 2-1 down going into the final 15 minutes when Kubo, on as a second-half substitute, fired in a late treble to save the day. Kubo’s hat-trick was the fifth in club history and he becomes the seventh Cincinnati player to be win MLS Player of the Matchday.

That dramatic victory over the Quakes was the Cincinnati’s eighth win in nine games and enough to keep them hot on the heels of Inter Miami at the top of the Eastern Conference. Cincy are currently two points behind Miami but have two games in hand, leaving them close to a record-setting pace in the Supporters’ Shield standings.

How many MLS Player of the Matchdays has Lionel Messi won?

The Inter Miami captain has made 12 appearances in MLS so far this year, scoring 12 goals and recording nine assists. Injuries, rests and international duty have ensured that he has only been named in the starting XI for 58% of Inter Miami games, but he remains a star when on the field.

So far in 2024 Lionel Messi has been named MLS Player of the Matchday on three occasions, all coming in the space of four weeks. In that four-game span, from mid-April to early May, Messi scored six goals and provided eight assists for his teammates.

That run of three PotM awards in four weeks is a rare feat, only previously managed by one player in MLS history. The last to do it was legendary French striker Thierry Henry, who managed it in 2012 during his time with the New York Red Bulls. In the 2024 season Messi is level with Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango with three MLS Player of the Matchday awards.