Lionel Messi's MLS stats: 51 goals and 29 assists in 80 games, averaging 8.33 points per match, ranking in the top two across six categories.

Alba and Busquets will depart after this season, Suarez is too old to continue playing, but Messi still opts to remain at Inter Miami. Maybe it’s all in preparation for the upcoming World Cup, and for his family’s sake, to offer a better home for his wife and son. Hence, Messi agreed to a three-year contract extension with Inter Miami, lasting until 2028, by which time he will be 41 and likely to conclude his professional career at the club.

In response, the renowned data agency Sofascore compiled Messi’s stats since his MLS debut, showing that he ranks in the top two among players in six key categories during the same period.

• Sofascore average match rating (8.33), the highest in the same timeframe.
• Goal involvement (80), leading among peers in the same period.
• Average big chances created per game (0.85), the highest among contemporaries.
• Average shots on target per match (2.51), top-ranked in the same era.
• Goals scored (51), second highest in the period.
• Assists (29), also second place during the same time.

In my opinion, due to different playing positions, midfielders and forwards are disadvantaged when comparing goals, and forwards are at a disadvantage compared to midfielders in assists. Ratings best reflect a player's overall skill and quality, while other stats highlight specific abilities.Why do so many people admire Messi and praise him? The reason is simple and pure: they enjoy watching beautiful football, nothing more than that!