Lionel Messi fought off competition from the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernandez to scoop the MVP award in MLS for the 2024 campaign. 

The league's MVP is chosen by players, club technical staff and journalists, with Messi receiving 38.43% of the votes, beating Hernandez, who got 33.7%. 

The Inter Miami star led the Herons to a single-season MLS points record of 74, while also helping them win the Supporters' Shield for the very first time. 

Messi registered 32 goal involvements (21 goals, 11 assists) in 22 appearances, including the playoffs, a total only bettered currently by the LA Galaxy's Gabriel Pec (34). 

He is also the fifth Argentine to claim the accolade after Christian Gomez (2006), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (2008), Diego Valeri (2017) and Luciano Acosta (2022). 

Miami lost just one regular-season match with Messi in their starting line-up, while they also averaged 2.68 goals scored in those games. 

Additionally, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner helped Miami become the first team to record at least 11 wins at home and on the road (excluding the shootout era).

Earlier in the season, Messi broke the MLS record for the most assists (five) and goal involvements (six) in a single game during a 6-2 thrashing of the New York Red Bulls. 

However, Messi could not inspire Miami to playoff glory. They were knocked out by Atlanta United, with the Red Bulls and the Galaxy to do battle for the MLS Cup on Saturday.