Nashville SC forward Sam Surridge recently opened up about the intense mental and emotional experience of vying for the MLS Golden Boot against the legendary Lionel Messi. He acknowledged that keeping tabs on Messi’s goal tally can be a maddening endeavor.
This season, Surridge has emerged as a pivotal player in the MLS, leading Nashville’s charge with an impressive scoring record. With 23 goals, he finds himself trailing Messi’s 26 goals, while LAFC’s Denis Bounaga is sandwiched between them with 24 goals.
For Surridge, competing against Messi for the Golden Boot is both an exciting and taxing challenge. In an interview with The Overlap US, he remarked:
“It’s obviously made it more special this year because I am competing with him. However, I’ve also realized that if I focus too much on his tally, I might drive myself insane since he scores week in and week out, which can be draining.”
“I try to maintain my consistency. Even during dry spells of two or three games without a goal, I remind myself that opportunities will come. This season has been rewarding as I’ve returned to my goal-scoring form. Competing with someone of his caliber is gratifying, yet I have my personal benchmarks to meet, and I’m not finished yet.”
Interestingly, on October 18, Nashville SC clashes with Inter Miami in the final weekend matches of the MLS season. Across all competitions, Surridge has scored 29 goals, while Messi has notched up 34.
Lionel Messi Set to Battle Nashville, Aiming for His First MLS Golden Boot
Lionel Messi is poised to extend his lead in the MLS Golden Boot race as Inter Miami gears up for their face-off with Nashville. Since his arrival in Miami during the summer of 2023, Messi has yet to clinch the league’s Golden Boot. Last season, he narrowly lost the title to D.C. United’s Christian Benteke, who finished with 23 goals.
Manager Javier Mascherano confirmed that Messi will be fit for the match against Nashville. However, regardless of the outcome against Nashville, Messi and Inter Miami can no longer contend for the Supporters’ Shield this season; their sole pathway to silverware now rests with the MLS Cup.
