Lionel Messi, star of Inter Miami, has finished his first year in Major League Soccer and has been nominated for an award despite appearing in only six matches.

Lionel Messi, who played his first professional season with Inter Miami, is a candidate for the MLS rookie of the year title. After his contract with PSG expired in July, Messi joined with Miami as a free agent.

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner became Major League Soccer’s (MLS) most high-profile transfer ever. The Argentine superstar had to wait until the Leagues Cup for his Major League Soccer debut. With 10 goals from Messi, Miami FC won their first championship in the club’s history.

The regular season of the 2023 Major League Soccer has ended, and with it, the nominations for the annual awards. The Major League Soccer has put Messi in the running for Rookie of the Year.

The 36-year-old is in esteemed company, including St. Louis City midfielder Eduard Lowen and Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis. While Lowen joined St. Louis in June 2022 from Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin, Giakoumakis joined Atlanta in February after signing with Celtic of the Scottish Premiership.

Messi has been nominated despite playing in only six games since joining MLS with only three of those games going the distance. The forward’s lone league goal came on his debut, August 27 against the New York Red Bulls.

During the MLS postseason, the award winner will be announced. The MLS Cup final, featuring the Eastern and Western Conference champions, will be played on December 9.

After finishing in last place in the Eastern Conference, Miami is eliminated from postseason contention. On Monday, Messi posted a statement to Instagram in which he discussed his first year playing in the United States.

On Instagram on October 23rd, Messi said, “I am proud of everything the team accomplished this season.”

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, Inter Miami CF won the Leagues Cup for the first time in the club’s history; we also advanced to the championship game of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup; and we were in the hunt for the Major League Soccer playoffs right up until the wire.

All the positives remain, but most importantly the motivation to become better for next year and be even more competitive. I appreciate the unwavering backing we get from the club’s members and the citizens of Miami as a whole. As in recent months, I have no doubt that we will share many more unforgettable experiences together.