Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi and midfielder Sergio Busquets have been named to the Team of the Matchday for Matchday 10 of the 2024 MLS regular season. Their outstanding performances were instrumental in the team's commanding 3-1 victory against Nashville SC in front of a record-breaking home crowd at Chase Stadium over the weekend to help the team secure its fifth win of the MLS campaign. Messi recorded a brace and an assist, and also became the fastest player in history to reach 830 goals, doing so in 1,056 games, while Busquets scored his first goal for the Club.Â
Messi earns a spot in the Team of the Matchday starting XI to record his fifth TOTM honors of the season following another record breaking performance. Messi’s initial impact began in the 11th minute, when the Argentine maestro slotted home a Luis Suárez assist to equalize the match. Notably, this marked the 50th time Suárez has assisted Messi in their careers, the most any teammate has ever assisted the Argentine.
Messi continued his red-hot performance in the 39th minute, assisting Busquets’ first goal of his MLS career and securing his team-leading sixth assist this regular season and eighth across all competitions. The assist also saw him make MLS history, as he became the first player in league history to record multiple goal contributions in five out of six games at the start of a season. Messi then sealed back-to-back victories for Miami in the 81st minute, this time converting from the spot to give Inter Miami a 3-1 lead and notch his seventh goal this regular season and ninth across all competitions in 2024 to become the team’s top scorer. Additionally, the brace took his total goal tally to 830 in 1,056 games played throughout his career, becoming the fastest player to achieve the feat.
Midfielder Busquets earned a spot on the Team of the Matchday bench for the first time this season. His selection comes on the heels of his inaugural goal for the team during the weekend's match. In the 39th minute of the game, captain Messi delivered a masterfully textured corner kick, finding Busquets' head as he dashed in front of the near post. With precision and skill, Busquets redirected the ball into the back of the net, propelling Miami to a 2-1 lead just before halftime.
Known for his defensive prowess and ball distribution, Busquets has been a consistent presence on the field for Inter Miami, featuring in every match throughout the 2024 MLS regular season.
2024 Inter Miami Team of the Matchday Honorees:
- Matchday 10:Â Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi
