Inter Miami have been having fun with the magic of Lionel Messi for 2 years now, and regardless of his age, he continues to dominate each competitors he enters. The 2025 Main League Soccer season isn’t any exception, however Nashville SC star Sam Surridge is set to battle the Argentine ahead till the very finish.
Messi is presently the league’s prime scorer with 22 targets. Denis Bouanga matched that tally after scoring a hat-trick for LAFC in opposition to Actual Salt Lake Metropolis final weekend. Shut behind is Sam Surridge, who has stood out this 12 months for Nashville SC with 21 targets, firmly establishing himself as a severe Golden Boot contender.
“Being in a race with Messi is particular for me. It’s a bit surreal,” Surridge mentioned in a current interview with FourFourTwo. “It’s additionally nice that he’s doing nicely as a result of it’s nearly like me in opposition to him in a approach, however there’s nonetheless some others within the race to get the Golden Boot.”
At a number of factors this season, Sam led the league in scoring. The truth is, he was on the prime of the leaderboard till simply final week—however Messi’s three targets over his final two video games in opposition to Seattle Sounders and DC United modified the image. “Messi may find yourself scoring nonetheless many targets in a recreation, and I can’t management that. I concentrate on what I can do,” the English striker defined.
Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami.
When requested whether or not Messi remains to be the most important star in world soccer as we speak, Surridge didn’t hesitate. “Sure, he’s, 100%. Him and (Cristiano) Ronaldo,” Sam replied. “Messi is not only doing it in MLS, he’s nonetheless doing it internationally. It’s solely a few years in the past, he gained the Ballon d’Or while enjoying in Miami. It’s nice for the league that he’s right here.”
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Surridge is in one of the best type of his profession
The possibility to compete immediately with Messi for such a prestigious award would’ve appeared unthinkable for Sam Surridge only a few years in the past. He got here up via Bournemouth within the Premier League practically a decade in the past however spent most of his early profession out on mortgage with lower-division golf equipment.
After stints with groups like Stoke Metropolis and Nottingham Forest, the English ahead made the bounce to MLS concurrently Messi in the summertime of 2023. He joined Nashville SC halfway via that season and has since scored 46 targets in 80 appearances—clearly making this his greatest marketing campaign but.
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Surridge additionally praises Luis Suarez
In the identical interview, Surridge additionally spoke extremely of one other Inter Miami star, Luis Suarez. “I’ve all the time regarded as much as him. Suarez is a good participant, somebody I all the time would watch on YouTube, watch his motion, watch how he can create probabilities for himself,” Sam mentioned. “He doesn’t transfer in addition to he used to, however these gamers, they all the time try to discover an additional yard. He’s nonetheless received that fireplace.”
