At the tail end of a historic season, Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi has added MLS Player of the Month honors for October 2024 to his lengthy list of accolades.
The iconic Argentine was unstoppable over the Herons' three matches this month, racking up six goal contributions (5g/1a), tied for the MLS lead over that span. The torrid run brought Messi's total goal contributions for the season to 36 (20g/16a) – the fifth-highest total in MLS history despite playing just 1,485 minutes. In Messi’s 19 MLS appearances this season, he recorded a goal or assist in 15 and had multiple goal contributions in 11 matches.
Messi ended the month with a historic 3g/1a performance in Miami's 6-2 Decision Day blowout of the New England Revolution that also saw them set a new MLS points record with 74 (20W-4L-8D record). In that match, Messi became the first player in MLS history to score a hat trick and produce an assist in a substitute appearance.
Along with the Supporters' Shield and MLS points record, Inter Miami became the third team in league history to win 22 matches in a regular season and the first to record at least 11 wins at home and 11 wins on the road (excluding the shootout era).
It marks Messi's second Player of the Month award of the season after he previously earned the honor in April. With teammate Luis Suárez also earning the honor for February/March, Inter Miami became the third club in the last decade to win the award three different times in the same season, joining LAFC in 2019 and Atlanta United in 2018.
Messi and top-seeded Inter Miami start the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-of-3 Series on Friday, where they'll take on the winner of Tuesday's Eastern Conference Wild Card match between CF Montréal and Atlanta United (8:30 pm ET | Apple TV - Free).
MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
