As the season comes to a close, Major League Soccer announced the 2024 MLS Best XI, featuring the league's top players at each position.
Media members, MLS players and MLS club technical staffs voted on the 11 honorees based of their performances in 2024. Players from nine clubs made the cut; Supporters' Shield winners Inter Miami and Leagues Cup winners Columbus Crew are the only two sides with multiple representatives.
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Of the 11 players selected, seven of them are receiving the honor for the first time in their careers. The Best XI also features individual winners of 2024 MLS Awards, including the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Defender of the Year.
Check out the 11 players honored in the 2024 MLS Best XI.
The best of the best. ⭐️
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 3, 2024
Introducing the 2024 MLS Best XI presented by @continentaltire. 👊 pic.twitter.com/lcnP0BNten
Goalkeeper
- Kristijan Kahlina (Charlotte FC)
Kristijan Kahlina, already named 2024 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, gets to add another honor at the end of his career-best season. The Croatian recorded 12 clean sheets and helped Charlotte FC conceded the second-fewest goals (37) this season.
Defenders
- Jordi Alba (Inter Miami CF)
- Yeimar Gómez Andrade (Seattle Sounders FC)
- Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew)
Jordi Alba tallied 14 assists for Inter Miami, leading all defensemen in MLS and ranking eighth among all players. Yeimar played a major role in Seattle Sounders conceding the fewest goals (35) this season.
Steven Moreira is also the 2024 MLS Defender of the Year after helping Columbus concede just 40 goals in 34 matches.
Midfielders
- Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati)
- Evander (Portland Timbers)
- Riqui Puig (LA Galaxy)
Luciano Acosta received his third consecutive Best XI selection after producing 14 goals and 19 assists for FC Cincinnati. Evander also recorded 19 assists and one more goal than Acosta, resulting in 34 goal contributions for Portland Timbers.
Riqui Puig finished the regular season with 13 goals and 15 assists for LA Galaxy, and even provided the game-winning assist for his side with a torn ACL in the Western Conference final.
Forwards
- Christian Benteke (D.C. United)
- Denis Bouanga (LAFC)
- Cucho Hernández (Columbus Crew)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF)
Christian Benteke won the 2024 Golden Boot for his league-leading 23 goals. Denis Bouanga was just behind Benteke with 20 goals, becoming just the second player in LAFC history to record 30 goal contributions in a single season. Cucho's 19 goals and 14 assists, meanwhile, contributed to almost half of Columbus Crew's 72 goals this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi Headlines 2024 MLS Best XI.
