'The love is different' - Benteke on Villa, MLS and Messi

At 33 years old, Christian Benteke, who has 17 years of professional experience, including 280 appearances in the Premier League and 45 caps for Belgium, continues to draw motivation from icons like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is disappointing for Benteke that while Messi embarks on an MLS playoff journey with Inter Miami, where he plays alongside Supporters’ Shield winners, the former striker for Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace will be sidelined, as DC United's season has concluded.

Despite scoring 23 goals—three more than Messi, as well as Luis Suarez from Inter Miami and Denis Bouanga from LAFC—DC United's lackluster performance, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference, meant they did not advance beyond the regular season.