Lionel Messi has broken numerous records throughout his more than 20-year career, and he could add another one to his collection with Inter Miami.
The Garzas captain has not only scored seven goals in seven games this season, but thanks to his exploits on the field, he has been named Player of the Week 14 times since joining Major League Soccer-a number that puts him close to the mark set by Landon Donovan.
Can Messi reach Donovan's MLS record?
Following the recent 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids, where Lionel scored two more goals, he also took home the Player of the Match award for Week 8, bringing his total to 14 honors.
As a result, Lionel is now just five awards away from matching the historic record held by former LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes star Landon Donovan, who leads the list with 19. But is Donovan's record in jeopardy with Messi on the rise?
Since joining MLS, the Argentine has maintained an impressive pace of individual awards, including two consecutive MVP titles-an unprecedented feat in the league.
Considering that this was the fourth award Leo has received in just the past eight weeks of play and that there are still approximately 24-25 matchdays remaining in the MLS season, everything points to Leo not only catching up to Donovan but also surpassing him.
With his consistency, immediate impact, and standout performances week after week, the Argentine has tallied 57 goals and 37 assists in 60 matches with the Garzas since joining the club and is also on track to reach 100 goal contributions in fewer than 30 matches-a feat achieved by Sebastian Giovinco, the first player to do so, who needed 95 matches to reach that milestone.
Meanwhile, Guillermo Hoyos's team will look to maintain its strong momentum in the Eastern Conference, where it currently sits in second place with 15 points, when it faces Real Salt Lake this Wednesday, April 22, at America First Field at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Upcoming Inter Miami Matches:
- Real Salt Lake vs. Inter Miami: Wednesday, April 22, at America First Field
- Inter Miami vs. New England Revolution: Saturday, April 25 at Nu Stadium.
- Inter Miami vs. Orlando City FC: Saturday, May 2 at Nu Stadium.
- Toronto FC vs. Inter Miami: Saturday, May 9 at BMO Field.
- FC Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami: Wednesday, May 13 at TQL Stadium.
