Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, Suárez Among Other MLS MVP Nominees

Inter Miami CF’s Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez are front-runners for the MLS MVP award after MLS on Monday released the complete list of the 34 nominees, which include FC Cincinnati’s Lucho Acosta, Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernández and LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig.

Both Suárez and Messi have met the new qualifying requirement of 1,000 minutes played during the regular season for 2024. Voting began on Monday and will continue until October 21.

Messi earned his second nomination for the award since joining the league on July 15, 2023, but has yet to win MLS MVP.

The forward is considered the leading candidate, having contributed 17 goals and 15 assists this year, despite appearing in only 18 league matches this season.

He’s seen a considerable amount of time on the sideline due to injury, most recently sitting out for two months to rehabilitate a right ankle injury, while also missing league action to feature for the Argentina national team. Still, he’s tied for fourth place on the Golden Boot standings.

On the other hand, Suárez has achieved 18 goals and seven assists in 26 games during his first-ever season in MLS.

The Uruguay national team forward adjusted quickly to the U.S. league, climbing to third place on the Golden Boot rankings and largely contributing to Inter Miami’s Supporters’ Shield success.

Together, Messi and Suárez account for 35 of the team’s 73 goals this season.

Miami’s Suárez and Matías Rojas are candidates for MLS Newcomer of the Year, while Federico Redondo and Diego Gómez have been nominated by Miami for MLS Young Player of the Year.

Additionally, Jordi Alba is among the nominees for MLS Defender of the Year.

Head coach Gerardo Martino also joined the list of nominees for the Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year award.

MLS club staff, players, and media members will vote for the nominees from Oct. 7-21. As per league rules, “an equal 33.3 percent from each voting group will account for the final result.”

All awards, except the Supporters’ Shield and Golden Boot, will be determined by the votes of the club staff, players, and media members.

Each group is advised to refrain from considering the Leagues Cup, US Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup, or international performances when voting, and to focus solely on the contributions of each nominee during the 2024 MLS regular season.

Winners will be announced from Oct. 28 through the week of the 2024 MLS Cup.

Inter Miami saw a meteoric rise to the top of the league in 2024, clinching the Supporters’ Shield on Oct. 2 and chasing the record for most points recorded in a single MLS season.

With a victory against the New England Revolution on Oct. 19, the Herons will make league history and set a new standard with 74 points in one campaign.

The New England Revolution currently holds the record after managing 73 points during the 2021 season.

The Herons saw a drastic improvement from last year, concluding the 2023 campaign in 14th place on the Eastern Conference standings with merely 34 points in 34 games to miss out on the playoffs.

Now, the team has secured a home advantage through the postseason due to their regular-season record.

Inter Miami will begin the playoffs on October 25 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, facing the winner of the Eastern Conference wild card match.