Lionel Messi is Inter Miami's best player but USMNT prospect Drake Callender is the real MVP

Kyle Bonn

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Lionel Messi is Inter Miami's best player but USMNT prospect Drake Callender is the real MVP image

Lionel Messi is the unquestioned attraction of Inter Miami since the Argentine legend joined the MLS club in late July.

Let's be honest, LeBron James and Kim Kardashian aren't going to DRV PNK Stadium to see anyone else on that squad. Selena Gomez doesn't have her jaw on the floor when anyone else has a chance miraculously saved.

Messi's majestic brilliance defies all logic and every time he curls in a free kick or threads the needle inside the box or effortlessly beats helpless defenders, you can tangibly feel his landscape-altering impact not only for Inter Miami but all of MLS. And yet Messi's goals aren't the only reason for Inter Miami's surge up the standings. In fact, they might not even be the biggest reason for the stark turnaround.

While Messi dazzles on one end, goalkeeper Drake Callender quietly goes about his business on the other, deftly papering over Inter Miami's single greatest flaw. In the two months since Messi first donned Inter Miami's pink colors, nobody seemed to even notice that the worst defensive team in Major League Soccer essentially stopped conceding goals.

MORE: Budding Inter Miami teen Benja Cremaschi makes USMNT debut amidst international choice

"In the beginning of the season we were struggling," Callender told Sporting News prior to being called up for USMNT's 4-0 win over Oman. "We were kind of getting desperate for a win. Guys have been forced to find something within themselves that is demanding more."

Prior to Messi's arrival, Inter Miami conceded 36 goals in 22 games. The 1.64 goals allowed per game would easily rank last in MLS.

Not including a 4-4 Leagues Cup shootout with Dallas and a 3-3 thriller in the US Open Cup against Cincinnati, Inter Miami has allowed just seven goals in 10 games including three in four MLS matches.

Callender's huge penalty saves in three separate Leagues Cup shootouts were pivotal moments in earning the club's first trophy, none more emblematic than his final-sealing save on Nashville SC goalkeeper Elliot Pannico moments after blasting his own penalty in the shootout's 11th round.

Through no fault of his own, the Inter Miami goalkeeper has been pummeled all season long.

Callender has logged the second-most saves (100) in MLS this season behind only Roman Burki of St. Louis City FC, and added another 26 saves through the club's seven Leagues Cup matches, plus six more in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Cincinnati. In the four games back in MLS action since the Leagues Cup break, Callender has kept two clean sheets, matching his total from the previous 22 matches of the season, which both came in the first two games of the year.

The 25-year-old attributes the season's turnaround not only the squad improvements, but also the club's core hitting a breaking point.

"This summer we made some great additions to the team, and that is in combination with a team who was already hungry and desperate and turn stuff around," Callender, one of just two players still at the club who were part of the Inter Miami's first-ever roster in 2020. "Yes we have some change this summer, some players added, but I think it was that plus a team in a state of sink or swim, fight or flight."

MORE: All of Messi's goals with Inter Miami

Callender has been in the wars throughout his career. Groomed in the NCAA ranks with Cal and battling his way through the MLS depth chart, Callender has had to fight for every moment in his career.

"We played a preseason game last year, and I did not have a great performances, probably one of my worst performances," Callender said." [There were] key moments where I just didn't do my job, didn't make the right decision, didn't execute properly. It was a moment where I had to reflect and say 'alright man, you can either let this eat you alive or you can turn things around.' That's a quality that comes from experience."

Callender was quick to make it clear that he's far from the only one on the Inter Miami squad who possesses that requisite experience. One of those with the goods is, of course, Messi, who Callender says makes the rest of the team want to put on a show. "When you're playing with the guy, you want to play your best. Not that I didn't before, but it almost makes you want to play your best even more, in a weird way."

"Players feel like they're more versatile" with Messi at their side, Callender argued, because of the ways in which Messi elevates those around him and opens up space.

Yet Callender comes from a completely different background. Far from the famed La Masia training pitch and the Champions League lights, the Inter Miami goalkeeper has only just cracked the USMNT radar, but had to check his personal growth in favor of helping his club.

With Inter Miami losing eight other players to international duty, Callender stayed for the 3-2 win over Sporting KC, missing the first September friendly against Uzbekistan. His late arrival in the national team afforded him a bench spot for the Oman match, but Ethan Horvath got the start, and it's hard to dismiss the idea that his presence in camp led to that cap.

MORE: Projecting the USMNT roster and starting lineup at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Despite his best efforts to keep a level head while discussing that, Callender's voice betrayed a clear frustration at the situation, and he indicated missing half of USMNT camp wasn't entirely in his hands. Yet Callender's dedication to his club's playoff push was evident, calling it a "fair decision," and he helped Inter Miami secure a 3-2 victory over Sporting KC without Lionel Messi or a host of other key players.

Even as Gregg Berhalter passed him over for selection against Oman, Callender has chosen to retain a more aerial view of his national team status, to the point of identifying his cup of coffee with recent national team camps as a catalyst for his rise in recent form.

"I've gotten three call-ups this year, and that's a huge honor for me," Callender said. "You kind of need to tap into a more competitive mentality because you're representing a whole nation.

"I remember when coming out of the Nations League games, I had a different mentality and approach to my performance because I was able to experience what it's like competing against a whole other nation. That helped me this summer with how competitive I was in games."

When asked if that was a turning point in his season, Callender said "I'll use the term landmark. I was able to draw a line in the sand and say 'now this is what's expected.' It came from the feeling of being a part of the team, the feeling of representing your nation. That's a pretty immense, powerful feeling. I haven't even made my [USMNT] debut yet, but I still feel 'wow I'm representing an entire country.' So the more familiar I can get with that, the better I'll be able to perform because this is one of the highest levels of competition."

Over the course of the half-hour chat, Callender's honest, thoughtful responses shed light on how much mental energy he has spent on bettering himself and remaining level-headed through a season rife with both adversity and glory.

"I always try and let my performances do the talking," Callender said, reflecting on the ups and downs of the year. "I'm someone who's come from humble beginnings and has not been in this position as a starter always — I've been a backup, I've been a No. 3, I've even been just a training player before, so I feel that hard work pays off. The key for me has just been consistency in my play and performances — that's the challenge at this level even with all the different variables as a goalkeeper in a pro game."

Lionel Messi may be the biggest jolt of electricity which catapulted this Inter Miami team into the stratosphere, but without Drake Callender, they wouldn't be the global sensation they are now, and that's not up for debate.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.