Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi and midfielder Sergio Busquets have been named in the Team of the Matchday for Matchday 11 of the 2024 MLS regular season. The pair clinch consecutive Team of the Matchday honors following their influential performances in an outstanding 1-4 victory on the road against the New England Revolution last Saturday night in front of a record home-crowd of 65,612 fans at Gillette Stadium.
Messi once again features in the Team of the Matchday starting XI, marking his sixth Team of the Matchday selection of the season. Earning the honors on the heels of a historic milestone performance, Messi carved his name into MLS history with a remarkable brace and assist, shattering the previous record for the most goal contributions in a player's first seven games of an MLS season. Moreover, Messi became the first player to achieve multiple goal contributions in five consecutive MLS matches.
Messi's historic performance began with an equalizer in the 32nd minute, as he calmly slotted the ball past the goalkeeper with his left foot to level the match at 1-1. This goal marked Messi's eighth of the regular season and his 10th across all competitions. The goal saw Messi make MLS history as he registered his 14th goal contribution (eight goals, six assists) in the first seven games of his season to become the first player to achieve the feat and surpass previous league record holders Thierry Henry and Carlos Vela (13 each). Additionally, Messi also became the sixth player all-time with a goal contribution in each of his first seven MLS games of a season.
In the second half, Lionel Messi continued to showcase his exceptional form, playing a pivotal role in Inter Miami's comeback. In the 68th minute, Sergio Busquets delivered a line-splitting assist to Messi, who sent the ball to the back of the net with a left-footed finish to the far post to give the visitors a 1-2 lead. This goal marked Messi's ninth of the regular season and his 11th across all competitions this 2024 campaign. With this goal, Messi achieved yet another milestone in MLS history, becoming the first player ever to record multiple goal contributions in five consecutive matches. Furthermore, he claimed the top spot in the league's 2024 regular season scoring charts.
In the 89th minute, Messi set up Luis Suárez on the edge of the box, who then crushed a splendid right-footed curler into the back of the net to seal Inter Miami's 1-4 victory. Messi's assist to Suárez marked his seventh of the regular season and extended his record-breaking tally of goal contributions in the first seven games of a season to a remarkable total of 16 (nine goals, seven assists).
Busquets, meanwhile, earns a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench for the second time this season. This recognition comes in the wake of his outstanding performance, securing an assist and dictating tempo in midfield. In the 68th minute, Busquets threaded a line-splitting assist for Messi who finished his second goal of the match and triggered Inter Miami to take the lead 1-2. Busquets' assist marks his third of the regular season and his fourth across all competitions. Notably, Busquets has been a mainstay on the field for Inter Miami, having featured in every match throughout the 2024 MLS regular season.
2024 Inter Miami Team of the Matchday Honorees:
- Matchday 11: Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi
