Inter Miami and Nashville SC share a similar history but very different paths, both played their first games in Major League Soccer in 2020, and while Inter Miami was a trainwreck almost from the start, The Boys in Gold have been a standard bearer for the last three seasons.
Nashville SC has made the playoffs in each of their three seasons and Hany Mukhtar has been the team’s unquestionable star. The German has 65 goals and 35 assists in 119 matches for the Tennessee side.
Not only that, Hany Mukhtar is the reigning MVP of Major League Soccer and is a strong case to win the award again this season as he leads the league in goals with 13, but then there is a guy called Lionel Messi.
Can Messi catch up to stats leaders in MLS 2023?
The answer is yes, as insane as it sounds if Messi scores at the rate he is scoring in MLS play, the World Cup winner could possibly finish the MLS season with 15 goals.
Mukhtar is at 13 after 23 weeks, in Leagues Cup, Messi is at 9 in 6 games. Messi will play Charlotte, one of the worst defensive teams in the league twice, New York Red Bulls, Nashville, Atlanta United, Toronto FC, Orlando City, and NYCFC.
Messi will miss the match against Sporting KC due to South American World Cup qualifying and could miss the games against the Chicago Fire and/or Cincinnati also due to Argentina qualifying commitments in October.
While 13 assists may be out of the question, 15 goals is achievable especially with Messi having a knack for scoring braces, he has 3 braces in 5 games against MLS sides.
On Sunday the duel between Inter Miami and Nashville SC will be historic for both sides, one of these teams will win an international championship, but it is also a showcase of the next battle Messi intends to win, best player in MLS against one of the best players of the league the last 3 seasons.