In a surprising turn of events, Lionel Messi, the World Cup winner and star forward for Inter Miami, has been left out of the Major League Soccer’s (MLS) Best XI for the 2023 season, as reported by goal.com.
The announcement, creatively shared on MLS’s official X account through a group chat, revealed the selected players, excluding Messi.
This unexpected exclusion raises eyebrows among fans, considering Messi’s significant impact on boosting the league’s global and U.S. popularity since joining Inter Miami in July.
However, goal.com suggests that Messi’s absence from the Best XI, primarily based on regular-season performances, is not shocking, given his participation in only six regular-season games. Despite Messi’s omission, the list features new and recognized talents, including MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga, Cucho Hernandez, Matt Miazga, Giorgos Giakoumakis, and the consistent presence of Walker Zimmerman for the fifth consecutive time.
