ESPN pundit Herculez Gomez has now shared whether he thinks Lionel Messi is already the greatest MLS player of all time since joining Inter Miami.
The Argentine international has been on a tear this year with Messi leading the MLS goalscoring and assist charts despite playing just seven league games this season, breaking records along the way.
With Inter Miami sat top of the Supporters’ Shield standings, Messi’s impact with the Herons has been nothing short of incredible in 2024, with the forward fully fit and firing on all cylinders week-in week-out.
And for former USA international Gomez, Messi’s greatness has already landed the forward an incredible title
Inter Miami star Messi named the best MLS player of all time
Speaking to ESPN, the pundit hailed Messi as the best MLS player of all time and the greatest to ever play in the league, even with the forward playing just 24 games in the division in total.
Gomez said: “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen play in MLS. I don’t think it’s a secret, I don’t think it’s debatable. You look at this guy’s numbers: he’s got 11 goals, nine assists in his last 10 games in all competitions. Nine league goals in the last six games.
“He’s played 24 games in MLS since he signed with Inter Miami. He’s got 22 goals, 11 assists. I’m talking primary assists, not the hockey assists that MLS adds to pad the stats. This guys has been as good as advertised. He’s been that player.
“This is his playground and he’s making every single player, every single opponent look amateur. It’s been that good and when he’s not been good there’s been a reason for it, it’s been injury-related. But when he’s healthy, when he’s fit, when he’s on the pitch, he’s unstoppable.”
Messi will become an MLS great, but he isn’t the greatest
Inter Miami and MLS are blessed to have Messi around during a time in his career when the Argentine is still one of the best attackers in the world and delivering on a weekly basis for the Herons.
But with Messi not even playing 30 league games in total for Inter Miami, it’s hard to call the forward the best in league history, especially with the 36-year-old yet to win MLS Cup or the Supporters’ Shield.
Indeed, this can change in time, yet even if Messi achieves this, the forward still has some way to go to match the likes of Landon Donovan and Chris Wondolowski in terms of being a true MLS legend.