Lionel Messi just dropped another pair of outright ridiculous goals for Inter Miami on Saturday, a fresh reminder that the 39-year-old is absolutely decimating club opponents right now. This dude drove Argentina to a World Cup Final, and now he’s just tearing up Major League Soccer, leaving us all wondering if it’s crazy to even consider him for the Ballon d’Or.
The Numbers Messi Is Putting Up Are Beyond Belief
Forget the age talk for a second, because Messi’s numbers this year are just stupid good. He’s racked up 29 goals and 15 assists in just 32 appearances for Inter Miami. Think about that: he’s only been kept out of the goal contributions column in six games, and four of those were way back before May. That’s pure magic at any age, let alone for someone who turned 39. And guess what? Carlos Vela’s MLS single-season goals record, currently sitting at 34, is in serious danger. Messi’s only missed three games this season, one for rest in March and two right after the World Cup. With three matches left on the schedule, Vela’s record isn’t looking so safe anymore, is it?
Why We’re Even Talking Ballon d’Or (Even Though We Shouldn’t Be)
Okay, so his recent run of brilliance doesn’t technically count for this season’s Ballon d’Or, and yeah, we all know MLS isn’t one of the world’s top-five leagues. It’s been fashionable for ages to trash MLS, and while it’s fair to apply that criticism in a Ballon d’Or debate when we’re judging the world’s top performer, you just can’t ignore what Messi is doing. We’d be saying the same thing if a player was putting up these kinds of insane numbers in Belgium or Turkiye, right? Harry Kane is still the favorite, and he totally deserves that spot. Lamine Yamal won a World Cup and La Liga, so he’s rightfully next in line. Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Ousmane Dembele, Pau Cubarsi, and Kylian Mbappe, who scored a ton of goals for club and country, all deserve their credit too. But if you want to make a strong argument for Messi, it’s absolutely there. He sealed his international career and dealt with personal turmoil this year, on top of scoring or assisting in Argentina’s first seven World Cup appearances before that 1-0 final loss to Spain. He played 90 minutes four times and 120 minutes three times, even scoring in his only 30-minute appearance during the tournament. Imagine if he’d pulled off something like 15-20 goals and 10 assists across all competitions in a top league like PSG, Napoli, or the Bundesliga, combined with that absurd World Cup. Voters might just push him to the podium.
It’s clear Messi is showing us all that you just can’t stop him. With three matches left, we’re all gonna be glued to our screens to see if he can shatter Carlos Vela’s record. This isn’t just about MLS; it’s about watching a legend continue to defy expectations.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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