Lionel Messi of Inter Miami has been awarded the title of Player of the Matchday.

Lionel Messi's outstanding performance in securing the Supporters' Shield for Inter Miami CF has earned him the Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra honors for Matchday 36. In a remarkable display, Messi netted two goals, contributing to Miami's historic 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew, which marked the club's first Shield triumph. This achievement has positioned the Herons as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, granting them home-field advantage throughout the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, culminating in the MLS Cup presented by Audi on December 7. Additionally, they will participate in the upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup, signifying their consecutive entry into the continental competition. Messi's impressive tally of 32 goal contributions (17 goals and 15 assists) places him second in the league, just behind Portland Timbers midfielder Evander, who has 33. Among players with a minimum of five goals this season, Messi leads with an impressive rate of 1.01 goals per 90 minutes.

This recognition marks Messi's fifth MLS Player of the Matchday award for 2024, having previously received the honor after Matchdays 9, 11, 12, and 32. He joins an elite group of players in MLS history, being the fifth to achieve this accolade at least five times in a single season, following Carlos Vela (six in 2019), Thierry Henry (five in 2012), Jason Kreis (six in 1999), and Cobi Jones (five in 1998). Miami is set to face Toronto FC on Saturday as they pursue the MLS single-season points record with two matches remaining (4 pm ET | MLS Season Pass). The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra is determined each matchday through a combination of media and fan voting, with a process overseen by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) accounts for 75 percent of the vote, while the remaining 25 percent comes from a fan vote conducted on X (formerly known as Twitter). NASR comprises members from print, television, radio, and online media.