Lionel Messi is MLS’s best player, but is he the MVP?

<p>Any doubts about Lionel Messi’s enduring capacity to play soccer at an otherworldly level - at 37 and deep into another physically taxing year - were annihilated last week.</p> <p>Start Oct. 15 in Buenos Aires, where the little wizard scored three goals and assisted twice as Argentina bashed Bolivia, 6-0, in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Then move to South Florida, where four days later he came off the bench and posted another hat trick in an 11-minute pocket as Inter Miami capped the greatest regular season in MLS history with a 6-2 rampage over New England.</p> <p>Messi’s hunger to not only continue playing but continue <i>dominating </i>has carried from the sky-blue national team to his pink-splashed club side. Though not as immaculate and resilient as he once was, Messi remains a blinding vision with boyish energy and searing focus.</p> <p>Nearing the end of his first full season stateside, he will begin his quest for the MLS Cup on Friday against Atlanta United in an Eastern Conference quarterfinal opener.</p> <p>Unquestionably, Messi is MLS’s best player - his statistics are ridiculous and his highlights demand multiple viewings - but is he the MVP?</p> <p>In MLS circles, it has become a hot debate. With the regular season over, the voting deadline for players, technical staff and reporters has passed. (The Washington Post does not vote for awards.) The winner won’t be announced for many weeks.</p> <p>The MVP debate should always begin with the best player on the best team. That is Messi, who posted 20 goals, tying him for second in the Golden Boot race, three behind D.C. United’s Christian Benteke. He added 16 assists, earning a share of third place. His combined count (36) is the fifth highest in MLS history.</p> <p>Here’s the thing: He did it in just 19 appearances and 15 starts. Projected over a full 34-game season, he would have had 36 goals and 28 assists. The MLS records are 34 goals (Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela in 2019) and 26 assists (Tampa Bay Mutiny’s Carlos Valderrama in 2000).</p> <p>Then again, Messi did it in just 19 appearances and 15 starts. He played in just 56 percent of Miami’s games and started in 44 percent, raising the question of whether a part-time player deserves a full-season award.</p> <p>His team was outstanding with him (12-1-6) and very good without him (10-3-2). His support system produced as well: Luis Suárez also scored 20 goals, Jordi Alba had 14 assists (followed by Julian Gressel with 12), and Sergio Busquets conducted the midfield.</p> <p>While Miami did just fine without Messi, it was better with him, both in results and aesthetics. As he did with them at Barcelona, Messi brought out the best in Suárez, Alba and Busquets. And if not for Messi’s famous MLS move in June 2023, that supporting trio would not have followed him to South Florida.</p> <p>If not Messi, who deserves the trophy? The Golden Boot winner must always garner consideration. This year, it was D.C. United’s Benteke, whose 23 goals led the league. He also had seven assists. Had D.C. made the playoffs, the Belgian striker would have a strong case. As Coach Troy Lesesne said, “Without him, it’s a different season for D.C. United.”</p> <p>But this season was no different from the previous four - United missed the postseason again.</p> <p>Another top contender is Juan “Cucho” Hernández, the Colombian forward whose ability to create and finish with artistry and ruthlessness has positioned the Columbus Crew for a possible championship repeat. He had 19 goals and 14 assists in 27 regular season appearances, plus six and four combined in the Crew’s run to the Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup finals.</p> <p>Hernández is the conductor of Coach Wilfried Nancy’s symphony, an elegant unit that isn’t reliant on one player.</p> <p>Others in the mix include Suárez, 37, who had six multigoal games, and the Portland Timbers’ Evander, who scored 15 goals. The Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec (16 goals, 14 assists) and Riqui Puig (13, 15), along with FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta, the 2023 MVP, were not among the finalists announced Thursday.</p> <p>Such awards are supposed to honor performance only. But if you take the “V” in “MVP” literally, it’s hard to not look beyond the field to Messi’s value to Miami, MLS and soccer in this country.</p> <p>Tickets to Miami’s away matches sold fast - even if he ended up disappointing fans by not playing because of injury, national team call-ups or load management. Pink Messi jerseys glow everywhere.</p> <p>Thanks to Messi, MLS’s presence grew beyond borders and Miami became a worldwide brand, much like the Los Angeles Galaxy upon David Beckham’s arrival in 2007. Apple TV - which streams all MLS games as part of a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal that started last year - sold subscriptions, though neither the company nor the league will share that data.</p> <p>Is it fair to the other MVP contenders to weigh Messi’s influence at the box office and marketplace? Probably not. Fine. Throw out those factors. Let his statistics, clout across 90 minutes (albeit irregularly) and prominent role for the MLS Cup favorite stand tall on their own.</p>