Messi wins historic back-to-back MLS MVP awards

Lionel Messi has won Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player award for the second season in a row – the first to achieve that feat in MLS history.

The Inter Miami forward’s two assists helped his side beat Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to win the MLS Cup for the first time.

Messi also won the league’s Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer, after the Argentina legend netted 29 goals in the 2025 regular season.

With assists, the 38-year-old had 48 goal contributions across 28 matches in 2025 – the second most in a single season, including at least three contributions in nine matches, another league record.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner also became the first player in MLS history to record 10 multi-goal games in a single campaign, breaking the previous record of eight shared by Stern John, Mamadou Diallo, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Messi scored numerous goals in five consecutive games from May 28 to July 12, becoming the first MLS player to have a multi-goal streak of more than four matches and scoring 10 times in that period.

The MLS MVP award has been presented since 1996 and is voted for by MLS club technical staff, media, and current players.

Messi won more than 70% of the vote, while his nearest challenger, San Diego winger Anders Dreyer, had just over 11%.

The former Barcelona and Paris St-Germain star adds the prize to a list of personal accolades, which include the 2022 World Cup, three The Best Fifa Men’s Player awards, and two World Cup Golden Balls.

Messi has also claimed three Uefa Men’s Player of the Year awards, six European Golden Shoes, six La Liga Best Player recognitions, eight Pichichi Trophies as Spanish football’s top scorer, and 15 Argentine Footballer of the Year awards.