Lionel Messi has added yet another crowning achievement to his glittering career, being named the Major League Soccer (MLS) Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. The announcement, made on Tuesday, confirms his status not only as the league’s most influential footballer but also as a record-breaker rewriting the MLS history books.
At 38, Messi showed no signs of slowing down. Leading Inter Miami with unwavering brilliance, he finished the season as the league’s top scorer and the central force behind the club’s title triumph. His presence on the pitch remained a source of inspiration, artistry and absolute reliability for his side throughout the campaign.
By clinching the MVP award again, Messi becomes the first player in MLS history to win the honour in back-to-back seasons, and only the second ever to claim the title twice. Before him, the feat was achieved only by Predrag Radosavljević in 1997 and 2003.
Messi’s numbers speak for themselves:
29 goals — the fourth-highest tally in MLS history
19 assists — earning him the Golden Boot for combined contributions
League-leading performance in both goals and assists, a rare achievement previously accomplished only by Sebastian Giovinco in 2015
Reflecting on the award, Messi said:
“I am extremely happy to win this again, especially as the first player to do it in two consecutive years. I am grateful. Individual awards feel good, yes, but I share this entirely with my team-mates. They make everything possible.”
His brilliance continued into the play-offs. Messi added six goals and nine assists, guiding Inter Miami to a commanding 3–1 victory over Vancouver in the MLS Cup Final, where he contributed two assists and collected the MLS Cup Final MVP as well.
The Argentine superstar has also recently renewed his contract with Inter Miami for an additional three years, extending a chapter that has already brought the club unprecedented success. Since joining in 2023, Messi has helped secure the Leagues Cup (2023), the Supporters’ Shield (2024), and now consecutive MVP titles.
Breakdown of 2025 MLS MVP Voting
| Voting Category | Percentage for Messi |
|---|---|
| Media | 83.05% |
| Clubs | 73.08% |
| Players | 55.17% |
| Overall Vote Share | 70.43% |
| Runner-up (Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC) | 11.15% |
Messi also shattered another long-standing MLS record by registering 10 multi-goal matches in a single season, surpassing Stern John, Mamadou Diallo, and Zlatan Ibrahimović, who each managed eight.
His first MLS MVP title, earned in 2024, came after an extraordinary run of 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 matches. These exploits followed his electric arrival at Inter Miami in 2023, where he immediately lifted the side to the Leagues Cup title.
With his latest award, Lionel Messi continues to elevate not only his own legacy but also the profile of American football itself—proving once more that even in the twilight of his career, the magic is far from fading.
SB