"BEING IN A GOAL RACE WITH MESSI HAS BEEN SURREAL"

A former EFL star has spent 2025 duelling with the greatest player of all time in a bid to finish as the top scorer in MLS

- Words Henry Winter

When he was sat on the Yeovil team bus for the long-haul drive north to Carlisle, Sam Surridge probably didn't believe his journey would lead him to flying around the United States, battling Lionel Messi for the MLS Golden Boot.

This year, however, that has become a reality - when Surridge swept in his 21st goal of a superb campaign against Cincinnati last month, the commentator hailed the Nashville No.9 as “the man that cannot miss”. At that stage, he led Messi by a goal - the Argentine hit back with five in the next three games, with Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga also joining the race, but Surridge remained proud. “Being in a race with Messi has been special,” says the ex-Nottingham Forest forward. “It’s been a bit surreal.”

The 27-year-old got a closeup view of Messi’s quality when Nashville played, and lost, away at his Inter Miami in July. “There was a free-kick on the edge of the box - I just knew Messi was going to score, and he did. It was pretty crazy,” Surridge says. “He has a huge following not just here in America, it’s everywhere. I get a few messages from back home and that’s nice. I've still got a good following from my time at Forest.”

While Inter Miami have Messi, Luis Suarez and the soon-to-be-retired Sergio Busquets, it’s different at Nashville. “We don't have loads of big players,” Surridge admits. “But we're a great team - we've got everyone working for each other.”

That approach isn’t made any easier by the heat in Nashville and across the US during a significant proportion of the season. “It's difficult,” he admits. “It’s not easy to play at the same intensity.”