“What are we doing?” - Pundit hits out at MLS after Lionel Messi is nominated for league award

ESPN pundit Herculez Gomez hit out at the MLS after Lionel Messi was nominated for the league's Newcomer of the Year award in 2023.

Messi played only six matches in the MLS in his debut season with Inter Miami, scoring once and providing two assists. Inter Miami finished 14th in the Eastern Conference of the MLS and failed to register a spot in the playoffs for the season.

Messi, though, managed to be a finalist for this season's award. Gomez has now taken issue with the nomination.

He said on the Futbol Americas show:

“What are we doing? What are we doing? Everything that people hate about Major League Soccer is on display here. We don’t care about this marketing ploy. We don’t care about you trying to use Messi."

Gomez added:

“That’s what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to use Messi. Nobody cares that people despise this type of thing. Messi himself should feel a little irked here. The worst thing here isn’t that the club would do it."

Gomez continued:

“Isn’t that the league would do it is there are people out there, actual press with credentials, who write about the game, who follow the game, who have voted him in as a finalist.”

Lionel Messi was brilliant for Inter Miami in the Leagues Cup 2023 and helped the Herons win the trophy by scoring 10 goals and providing one assist in seven appearances. However, his participation in the MLS was limited due to fitness issues.

Messi ended his first season in US soccer with impressive numbers. He bagged 11 goals and five assists in 14 appearances for Inter Miami.

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World Cup-winning coach offers his take on Lionel Messi's Argentina future

Despite being 36, Lionel Messi remains a handful at the top level of football. He is still Argentina's talisman in the attack. 1978 FIFA World Cup-winning coach Cesar Luis Menotti has now spoken about Messi's international future.

Menotti thinks that Messi is experienced enough to know when to hang up his boots.

Speaking about the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner's future in international football, Menotti said (quotes as per GOAL):

“Messi knows how far he can go and what he feels about playing. He is at a beautiful age to decide what to do and what not to do. He has been accompanied by success and by great team-mates on great teams.”

Lionel Messi is set to feature for Argentina in the 2024 FIFA World Cup as La Albiceleste look to defend their status as the South American champions. His participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, though, is unsure.