Lionel Messi Wins MLS MVP Award for Second Consecutive Year
Lionel Messi has made history by winning the Major League Soccer (MLS) Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the second consecutive season, becoming the first player to achieve this milestone in the league's history.
The Inter Miami forward contributed two assists in his team's 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps, leading to their first MLS Cup triumph.
In addition to the MVP award, Messi secured the league's Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer, after netting 29 goals during the 2025 regular season.
The 38-year-old demonstrated exceptional performance, recording a total of 48 goal contributions over 28 matches in 2025, marking the second-highest total in a single season. He achieved at least three contributions in nine matches, setting another league record.
Messi, an eight-time Ballon d'Or winner, also became the first player in MLS history to achieve 10 multi-goal games in a single season, surpassing the previous record of eight held by Stern John, Mamadou Diallo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
From May 28 to July 12, Messi scored in five consecutive matches, establishing a new record for a multi-goal streak of more than four games in MLS, with 10 goals during that stretch.
Recently, Messi extended his contract with Inter Miami, committing to the club until the end of the 2028 season.
The MLS MVP award has been presented since 1996 and is determined by votes from MLS club technical staff, media, and current players.
Messi received over 70% of the votes, while his closest competitor, San Diego winger Anders Dreyer, garnered just over 11%.
In addition to his recent accolades, Messi's prestigious career includes the 2022 World Cup, three FIFA The Best Men’s Player awards, and two World Cup Golden Balls.
He has also earned three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year awards, six European Golden Shoes, six La Liga Best Player awards, eight Pichichi Trophies as Spain's top scorer, and 15 Argentine Footballer of the Year awards.
However, Messi has not yet confirmed whether he will represent Argentina in the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.