Lionel Messi has been named as Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player after leading Inter Miami to a record-breaking regular season campaign.
The Argentine was handed the accolade on Friday after his performances helped Miami to a record regular season points tally, earning the club its first-ever Supporters Shield.
The 37-year-old finished the regular season with a league-leading 36 goal contributions after netting 20 goals and 16 assists.
His MVP award comes despite an injury-hit campaign that saw him make only 19 appearances this year.
Inter Miami and Messi’s season came to an end when the team suffered a shock first-round defeat in the MLS Cup playoffs.
The former Barcelona talisman is the 10th South American to win the MVP and the fifth from Argentina after Luciano Acosta, Diego Valeri, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, and Christian Gomez.
