MLS award season is almost upon us, and Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez are of course in the running for league MVP.
The highest individual honor an MLS player can win, the MVP award has seen some truly legendary players pick up the accolade across the years from David Villa to Carlos Valderrama to the trophy’s namesake Landon Donovan.
With Inter Miami leading the Supporters’ Shield race and the early favorites for MLS Cup, there’s a real chance that the like of Messi or Suarez could end up scooping up the MVP award if the Herons go the distance.
And MLS players, writers and experts have now made their unofficial ranking ahead of the end of the regular season.
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Suarez ranked third whilst Messi remains unlisted for MVP award
As per MLS’s official website, neither Suarez or Messi are currently the favorite to win the MVP award, with that honor going to the Columbus Crew’s Cucho Hernandez, who has once again been a standout performer in the American top-flight this season.
Suarez ranks third in the unofficial MVP rankings whilst Messi, perhaps surprisingly, sits unranked with zero votes, with the Inter Miami captain not playing a single minute of MLS soccer since the start of June.
Indeed, whilst Sergio Busquets has been suggested as Inter Miami’s best player this year, the legendary Spanish midfielder also didn’t make the cut, along with other star players for the Herons like Jordi Alba and Julian Gressel.
With Suarez just about cracking the unofficial top-three, though, it seems like the MVP award won’t be heading to Chase Stadium this year, with Inter Miami likely to miss out on the prestigious honor.
Clik here to view.
Inter Miami’s star players know they can turn the MVP discussion
A good case can be made as to why an Inter Miami player shouldn’t win the MVP award, with the Herons having the deepest squad ever seen in MLS history and have quality in every position that has helped in their Supporters’ Shield push.
However, Messi and Suarez are two of the greatest players to ever live and are no strangers to winning individual honors, and the MLS MVP award will be within their sights heading into the final weeks of the season.
Messi and Suarez can turn the tide of the MVP discussion in the blink of an eye, and the duo will want to do all they can to end the year on a high and to beat the likes of Hernandez to the award.
