Is Lionel Messi not a deserving candidate for an individual award this season? The master from Argentina had a glorious 2023, completing his set of trophies with Argentina in Qatar. Even though he is now a contender for the Ballon d’Or, on the domestic front, however, his nomination for an MLS award went over the heads of two former players.

MLS has undoubtedly grown over the years with some highly reputed players coming in. Initiated by Inter Miami owner David Beckham himself, the league followed up with stars like Thierry Henry, Kaka, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But this time, the country is excited like never before.

Former USA Star calls the selection of Lionel Messi, a howler

Lionel Messi joined the MLS as a World Cup winner and also won the league in France during his short tenure with PSG. His arrival had already held more weight than previous stars. But the excitement of the MLS went further, as they named the Argentine as a nominee for their Newcomer of the Season award. In a show hosted by ESPN FC, former soccer stars Sebastian Salazar and Herculez Gomez slammed MLS for this apparent howler.

Salazar openly said that he did not vote for Messi, stating “Clearly for what he did in MLS, you can’t give him the Newcomer of the Year.”Well, I know I didn’t vote for Lionel Messi.”

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Apart from the Leagues Cup run, Messi’s performance did not impress the two stars, as he scored just once and assisted twice in 6 matches he played in the MLS. The Inter Miami captain was unavailable because of his injury and could not take Miami to the playoffs either. On this note, Hercules Gomez mentions that if Messi were to win the award, it would embarrass even the Argentine and how in truth, La Pulga does not meet the criteria to win the award.

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Messi does not meet the criteria for the award, says Gomez

Gomez, who won two MLS trophies, is well-versed in the League and its rules. The player called out the selection of Messi, saying that he cannot qualify as per the rules. The rules state that a player is eligible for nomination based on their performances and also their presence from the beginning of the season.

Apart from the league, Gomez also emphasized that performances from no other competitions can be taken into account. The Leagues Cup that Lionel Messi ruled was the prime intention of stating the regulation. As Messi’s name continues to do rounds in trophy conversations, the former Barcelona player will be busy with the Ballon d’Or ceremony scheduled for the 30th of this month.

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