Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi, forward Luis Suárez and midfielder Matías Rojas have been named to the Team of the Matchday for Matchday 12 of the 2024 MLS regular season. The trio earns Team of the Matchday honors after running the show in Inter Miami’s historic 6-2 over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, which saw the team score the most goals in a match in Club history playing in front of a second-consecutive Club-record home crowd.
Messi once again features in the starting XI, marking his fifth consecutive, and seventh overall TOTM selection this season. The Argentine maestro had a historic performance in the win over the Red Bulls, tallying a goal and five assists to make MLS history by becoming the first player to register five assists in a match, and first to have six goal contributions in a game. Additionally, he also became the first player in Club history to register 10 goals and 10 assists in an MLS regular season.
Messi played provider for five of the team’s goals on the night, assisting Rojas in the 48th and 62nd minutes, and dishing out assists for Suárez in the 69th, 75th and 81st minutes. Our captain also struck to get his name onto the scoresheet, capitalizing on a Suárez assist with a first-time finish inside the box to send the ball to the back of the net to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead and complete the team’s comeback in the 50th minute after initially going down 0-1 in the first half.
In all, Messi has racked up 10 goals and 12 assists this regular season for an impressive 22 goal contributions in just eight appearances to be the league’s joint-top scorer and top assist provider thus far in 2024.
Suárez earns his place in the starting lineup for his third Team of the Matchday selection after securing his first hat trick in MLS and also registering an assist on Saturday in the home win against the Red Bulls. The Uruguayan marksman’s three goals sealed the team’s victory on the night, with his scoring masterclass beginning in the 69th minute, burying a delivery from Messi from the left side of the box with a volley to the far post to make the scoreline 4-1.
Six minutes later, Suárez struck again to extend the hosts’ lead to 5-1. A fantastic combination of passes between Messi and Suárez left the Uruguayan forward inside the box, where he calmly finished through the keeper’s legs to score his second goal of the night in the 75h minute.
Fast forward another six minutes, and Suárez secured his first hat trick for the Club to make the scoreline 6-1 in the 81st minute. Messi once again fed a ball for Suárez inside the box for the striker to bag his third goal of the game. Suárez has now tallied 10 goals and five assists this regular season and leads the league in goals alongside Messi.
Rojas, meanwhile, earns Team of the Matchday honors after what was just his second MLS appearance. The midfielder features in the starting XI after a stellar cameo performance, coming on as a substitute at half time and scoring his first two goals for the Club to help Inter Miami turn the proceedings around and complete an impressive second half comeback. Rojas’ halftime substitution had an immediate impact as Inter Miami found the equalizer just minutes after. In the 48th minute, Messi controlled a long delivery on the right end of the pitch before finding Rojas in the center of the pitch. The Paraguayan international then took a touch to create space and leave two defenders behind before unleashing a long-distance left-footed strike to the top right corner of the goal to tie the match 1-1.
Rojas then secured his brace to extend the team’s lead to three 3-1 in the 62nd minute. A great sequence of passes between Messi and Rojas finished with Messi threading an inch-perfect through ball for Rojas to enter the box, where he finished the play with a beautiful chipped shot over the keeper.
2024 Inter Miami Team of the Matchday Honorees:
- Matchday 11: Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi
- Matchday 12: Matías Rojas, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez
