Inter Miami CF Forward Luis Suárez Voted MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 29

NEW YORK (Monday, August 26, 2024) – Inter Miami CF forward Luis Suárez was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchday 29 of the 2024 MLS season.

Suárez recorded his fourth multi-goal MLS game of 2024 as Inter Miami CF defeated FC Cincinnati, 2-0, on Saturday evening to become the first club to clinch an Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs spot (Watch MLS Wrap-Up Discuss Suárez’s Performance). The Uruguayan legend now has 14 goals and five assists in his debut season with Inter Miami, sitting just two goals behind the club’s single-season MLS record, held by Gonzalo Higuaín (16 in 2022). Suárez’s 0.93 goals per 90 minutes ranks third in MLS among all players with at least 10 goals and he joins LAFC’s Mateusz Bogusz as the only players in the league to outperform his expected goals by more than five goals (14 goals on 8.7 expected goals).

By securing a playoff berth in their 26th regular-season game, Miami (56 points, 17-4-5) became the fourth team in league history to clinch a postseason position within the first 26 games of a 34-game season, joining LAFC (25 games in 2022 and 2019) and FC Cincinnati (26 in 2023). All three of the previous teams to accomplish the feat captured the Supporters’ Shield in their respective seasons.

Miami opened the scoring 31 seconds into the match when Suárez chested down a cross from Marcelo Weigandt and volleyed home a finish into the bottom corner for a 1-0 advantage (Watch Here). Five minutes later, the Uruguayan forward scored his second goal of the match as he connected on a passing combination with Matías Rojas before his effort deflected off a Cincinnati defender and into the back of the net (Watch Here).

This is the third time Suárez has been named MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra this season (Matchdays 3 and 5), joining teammate Lionel Messi and Real Salt Lake forward Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango as the only players to do so. Miami is the first team in MLS history to have two different players win the MLS Player of the Matchday honor at least three times in a single season.

Inter Miami will look to continue their chase for the Supporters’ Shield when they travel to face Chicago Fire FC on Saturday, August 31 at Soldier Field (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.