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Leo Messi, Javier Mascherano, and Inter Miami received significant honors
Jan 04 2026 18:17 · By NICOLE SOMMA · 57 Reads
S ince Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, the club has won four titles: the Leagues Cup in 2023, the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2024, and at the end of 2025, it won the MLS Cup Eastern Conference title and was crowned champion for the first time in its Major League Soccer history.
For this and more, the club, its coach, Javier Mascherano, and Lionel Messi received important honors.
Inter Miami, honored with important awards
The Uruguayan newspaper El País announced the results of the 40th edition of the " America Responds to El País " survey. Approximately 264 journalists from 16 American countries participated in the survey to highlight the best player, coach, and team in their respective countries.
After the vote, Inter Miami won a hat-trick of awards, as Lionel Messi received the most votes and was chosen as the best player in the MLS .
In addition, his compatriot and coach, Javier Mascherano , was also honored and was chosen as the best coach in the MLS . And to the surprise and delight of David Beckham's team, Inter Miami was voted the best club .
Meanwhile, in Argentina , the player who received the most votes was Santiago Sosa , the midfielder for Racing (which also happened to be the most voted team). Eduardo Domínguez of Estudiantes de La Plata was named the best coach.
In addition, Leo was not chosen as the Best Player in America , as Uruguayan player Giorgian de Arrascaeta received the most votes. The current Flamengo player surpassed Messi, who received 39% of the votes, and obtained 67.8%.
De Arrascaeta scored 28 goals and 19 assists in 69 games with the club this year and was crowned champion of the Copa Libertadores and the Brasilerao . In addition, he was one of the most important players in his national team's qualification for the 2026 World Cup .
Meanwhile, Messi, Mascherano, and Inter Miami are preparing for the 2026 season , where they will have to defend their titles, inaugurate their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, and where they will no longer have Jordi Alba or Sergio Busquets.