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.

Dark horses like NYCFC and Colorado Rapids have emerged with statement wins and individual performances to keep an eye on come the playoffs that may shock many. One of the biggest questions now going down the stretch run in MLS is who the candidates for the Landon Donovan award at season’s end are.

These top 5 candidates have all made a case to be considered for the top individual prize in all of MLS. What we have considered is contributions from goals, assists, leadership and team standing. Here are the top 5 candidates to win the MLS regular season MVP award.

Raúl Ruidíaz

Seattle’s Raúl Ruidíaz is having one of the best individual seasons for a player in a long time, consider the scenario, Jordan Morris and Nicolás Lodeiro out injured for much of the season someone has to step up, and the Peruvian has. Ruidíaz leads the league in goals, 14, but besides clutch goals, it has been leadership that makes him one of the biggest reasons the Sounders are atop of the west without two key players. Ruidíaz did what a DP is supposed to do… step up.

Valentín Castellanos

NYCFC is a dark horse, winning games against big time opponents, the latest against New England where Valentín Castellanos scored two goals and is having a career year. It’s a team effort for NYCFC but Castellanos has stood out considerably and is coming into his own. Taty will be key come playoff time and has shown he can be a star in MLS, it also marked a year where Castellanos was called into the Argentine U23 squads.

Carles Gil

One of the best midfielders in MLS, Carles Gil is the leagues assist leader and by a mile, his 15 assists are only second by 5 players who are on 8. Gil is the string puller for the Revs two power forwards Bou and Buksa. Once again Bruce Arena has a magic triangle with Gil playing the role of Marco Etcheverry to perfection.

Dániel Sallói

Out of nowhere Dániel Sallói is on an MVP season, already an All-Star and a league leader in goals and assists the Hungarian striker has been pivotal for Sporting KC. He may not be the biggest name on the list, but Sallói has done it all this season for Sporting KC and is on a career year.

Hany Mukhtar

Someone needs to take credit for Nashville SC’s unexpected third place 2021 MLS season. German Hany Mukhtar is tied at second as the leagues assist leader and has 8 goals this season. Mukhtar pulls the strings for a team that has only lost 2 games the whole season and when in doubt Nashville SC gets draws, in a league where earning points is key, Nashville are sitting pretty with an MVP caliber player, and a stingy defense.