Who will win MLS MVP? Messi, Arango, Puig

A third of the way into the 2024 regular season, we take a look at the front-runners for the Landon Donovan MVP Award.

William GittinsWillGittUpdate: May 6th, 2024 07:10 EDT0

SEAN M. HAFFEYAFP

MLS Matchday 11 concluded on Sunday evening with a goalless draw on the West Coast between Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy. In both the East and the West the table is starting to take shape, with Inter Miami and Real Salt Lake leading their respective conferences.

We’re roughly a third of the way through the regular season and a few of the league’s elite stars are also starting to emerge from the rest. Every year the league’s Most Valuable Player is given the Landon Donovan MVP Award. The reigning MVP is Luciano Acosta who starred for 2023 Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati. Acosta’s win was the third time in five seasons that the league’s MVP was awarded to a member of the team that lifted the Supporters Shield.

With that in mind, here’s a look at three early front-runners for the 2024 Landon Donovan MVP Award…

Will Lionel Messi win the MLS MVP?

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Lionel Messi celebrates during a starring performance against the New York Red Bulls.Nathan Ray SeebeckUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

In short, probably yes. The Inter Miami captain sparked a dramatic mid-season turnaround in 2023 but fell just short of leading his team to the playoffs. This time around, with the team better-suited to his extraordinary talents, Lionel Messi is the outright favourite to be crowned the league’s best player at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

His Inter Miami sit top of Eastern Conference, albeit having played one extra game, and Messi leads the league for both goals and assists. He has managed that despite only starting in 58% of their MLS games so far. Taking the phrase ‘Most Valuable Player’ literally, Messi has a pretty convincing case. Inter Miami have won six of the seven games that he has started, winning just one of the four matches that he missed.

Saturday’s second half demolition of a strong New York Red Bulls team, with Messi recording an MLS-record five assists, was the latest in a string of jaw-dropping performances for the Argentine.

Chicho Arango leads RSL to the top

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Real Salt Lake forward Cristian Arango has been a real leader in 2024.Caean CoutoUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Messi may grab the headlines but he is not the only MLS star enjoying a historic start to the campaign. Real Salt Lake pulled off a major coup last summer when they tempted 2022 MLS Cup winner Christian ‘Chicho’ Arango back to the league. The Colombian impressed in 2023 but his performances have gone to another level this year and he has led RSL to the top of the Western Conference.

Named club captain over the off-season, Arango is central to this exciting RSL attack and head coach Pablo Mastroeni has been full of praise for the striker. Salt Lake play a more measured, defensively compact style than Messi’s Miami and that has placed greater offensive burden on Arango. The 29-year-old has certainly delivered. He has either scored (nine) or assisted (seven) 89% of Real Salt Lake’s goals this season, 16 of their 18 MLS strikes. If RSL can clinch top spot in the Western Conference, Arango could have a real MVP claim.

Can Riqui Puig make history with LA Galaxy?

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Midfielder Riqui Puig as at the heart of this impressive LA Galaxy team.Alex GallardoUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

In the 28-year history of the MLS MVP, midfielders rarely win the award. Passing, controlling, non-scoring midfielders like Riqui Puig are very rarely named the league’s best. But if he can restore LA Galaxy to the level of genuine MLS Cup contenders the Spaniard would have a real claim to be named MVP. After a period of relentless success the Galaxy have struggled in the past decade, failing mount a realistic push for MLS Cup. In fact, in the past seven seasons they have made it to the post-season only twice.