Even though the 2024 MLS season is roughly one-third of the way through, Lionel Messi is garnering discussion about breaking the MLS goal-scoring record. Lionel Messi’s goal against the New York Red Bulls brought his total up to 10 on the season. Ironically, he is joined at the top of that chart by teammate Luis Suarez, who secured a hat trick against New York on Saturday.
Yes, it is still early in the 2024 MLS season. Yet, there is a chance Lionel Messi will usurp that single-season scoring record in Major League Soccer. Currently, the high mark belongs to Carlos Vela. The Mexican scored 34 goals in the 2019 MLS Season, doing so in 31 MLS games with LAFC. After 12 games in that season, Vela had 13 goals, so he was ahead of the pace Messi is currently on. However, the Argentine has missed four games. Effectively, he is on just over a goal-per-game ratio. In terms of numbers, Messi is scoring 1.25 goals per game, while Vela’s record-breaking season was 1.1 goals per game. That is a slim, arguably marginal difference. However, the pace would be enough for Messi to break the record, assuming he plays enough games.
In that lies the challenge for Messi and Inter Miami this season. There are no guarantees surrounding how many games Lionel Messi will play in the pink kit of the Florida club. There are several arguments that say as soon as Inter Miami clinches a playoff spot, it should begin to cut Messi’s minutes to ensure he is fit for the playoffs. He has already missed four games this season. Officially, one of those was for rest, but the other three that followed were connected to ever-present muscular problems.
Based on his current ratio, Messi would need to play in 28 MLS games to break Vela’s record and score 35 goals in one MLS season. That assumes he can maintain this remarkable pace, too. It will likely simmer down, but Carlos Vela was a consistent goal-scorer throughout the 2019 MLS campaign. Based on his early success, health may be…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/how-close-is-messi-to-breaking-the-mls-goal-scoring-record/
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-05-06 16:18:21
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