The ex-Stoke City and Nottingham Forest star matching Lionel Messi in America | OneFootball

Sam Surridge is currently matching Lionel Messi at the top of the goalscoring charts in the MLS.

Sam Surridge has scored the same number of goals this season in the MLS as eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi.

Surridge, 27, made 86 appearances across four years in the Championship between 2019 and 2022, scoring 17 goals and assisting a further four for clubs such as Swansea City, AFC Bournemouth, Stoke City and Nottingham Forest.

However, since switching Nottingham for Nashville in the summer of 2023 for £5 million, Surridge has gone from strength to strength in the States.

The Nashville SC striker has currently scored 32 goals and grabbed 5 assists in 62 appearances in the MLS, averaging over a goal every other game, with 18 goals this season alone, putting him top of the goal-scoring charts, level with Inter Miami's Lionel Messi.

Keeping pace with one of the greats

The former England youth international began his career in the AFC Bournemouth academy, before going out on a series of loan spells in the lower leagues with Poole Town, Yeovil Town and Oldham Athletic.

The Cherries would continue to loan Surridge out, but this time to the Championship with Swansea City, where he was showed glimpses of quality.

Following Bournemouth's relegation from the Premier League, Surridge was involved in the club's 2020/21 Championship campaign, but found it difficult to dislodge Dominic Solanke in the sole striker position.

A permanent move to Stoke the following year ensued, but Surridge struggled with the Potters, and after less than five months in Staffordshire would again find himself on the move, this time to Nottingham Forest for £2 million.

Surridge played a key role under Steve Cooper at the City Ground, scoring seven goals as Forest were promoted to the Premier League after a 23-year exile.

The Englishman played a bit-part role in Forest's first season back in the Premier League, predominantly appearing off the bench and would switch to Nashville at the end of the season, where he has since found a new lease of life.

Surridge can outscore Messi

With nine games to go of the MLS season, there remains the possibility that Surridge could legitimately outscore Messi.

Messi has 18 goals and seven assists in 18 games, whereas Surridge has 18 goals and three assists in 25 games, so if they were to both continue at that rate and play every game until the end of the season, Messi would outscore Surridge.

However, what Surridge has in his favour is his injury record in comparison to Messi this season, with the former Barcelona and PSG man having missed four games due to injury or being rested.

Inter Miami has had to contest the Leagues Cup as well as the FIFA Club World Cup in recent months, meaning they have played three fewer MLS games than Nashville and sit just five points behind the team from Tennessee in the league.

Whoever finishes as the MLS top goalscorer will likely go down to the wire; Nashville host Messi's side on the final day of the season, giving the very real possibility that the award could be decided in that game.

From League Two, to going neck and neck with Messi, Surridge has certainly found a home across the pond and could yet write his own bit of history.