Lionel Messi wins MLS MVP award, the latest trophy on a long list of honors for the Inter Miami star

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It was a rare instance of Lionel Messi stepping on a soccer field and having no idea what was happening.

There they were, more than 250 Inter Miami academy players, a slew of kids lined up at midfield in a formation that spelled out three letters: MVP. And when Messi saw his children, he realized they were holding a trophy.

That's how Messi learned he was Major League Soccer's best player in 2024.

Messi is the MLS MVP, even after a season where he missed 15 of Inter Miami's 34 regular-season matches with injuries or commitments to Argentina's national team. He factored into a league-high 36 goals — scoring 20, assisting on 16 others — for the highest rate per 90 minutes in MLS history.