Lionel Messi's brilliant display for Inter Miami CF in front of a historic Arrowhead Stadium crowd has earned the Argentine legend Player of the Matchday honors for Matchday 9.
A total of 72,610 fans – the fourth-largest standalone attendance for an MLS game – watched Messi log 1g/1a as the Herons topped Sporting Kansas City, 3-2, to reclaim first place in the Suppporters' Shield standings (4W-2L-3D, 15 points).
Messi first provided a line-splitting assist for Diego Gómez (18') before uncorking a long-range golazo (51') with his famous left foot. Former FC Barcelona teammate and fellow Big Four cohort Luis Suárez scored the eventual game-winner for the visitors midway through the second half.
Messi is the first player in league history to post at least 5g/5a through his first five games of the season. Additionally, he joined Thierry Henry (11 in 2012), Landon Donovan (10 in 2008) and Raúl Díaz Arce (10 in 1997) as the only players with at least 10 goal contributions in their first five games to begin a season.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup champion and eight-time Ballon d'Or winner is also now tied for most goal contributions (10) in Major League Soccer with Real Salt Lake's Cristian Arango. Since his arrival in July 2023, Miami have a 5W-0L-2D record in league games where Messi produces a goal or an assist.
Inter Miami are back in action Saturday night at home against Nashville SC (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
The MLS Player of the Matchday 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% 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.
