Lionel Messi named MLS MVP after historic 2025 season

Lionel Messi secured the 2025 MLS MVP award after a spectacular campaign with 35 goals and 28 assists in 34 games, driving Inter Miami to their maiden MLS Cup. Since joining in 2023, he has helped the club win multiple titles. Now extending his contract, Messi continues to elevate Miami as they prepare for a new stadium era.

When the MLS season reached its conclusion, Lionel Messi once again stood at the centre of it all, claiming the MVP award for the second successive year after a phenomenal 2025 campaign. He delivered an extraordinary return of 35 goals and 28 assists in just 34 games, directly contributing to 63 of Inter Miami’s 101 goals, a statistic highlighted by Argentina’s Clarin newspaper.

Messi’s journey with the club began in July 2023, when he arrived to a team struggling at the bottom of the league. In 2024 he won the MVP but exited early in the playoffs. The real breakthrough came in 2025 as Inter Miami finally lifted the MLS Cup, completing a historic rise for the young club founded in 2018 by Jose and Jorge Canosa along with David Beckham. Since Messi’s arrival, the team has collected the Leagues Cup, the Supporters’ Shield and now the MLS Cup.

Messi expressed pride in guiding the club to the top while navigating a packed schedule of finals, semifinals and the Club World Cup. With a new contract agreed, he will stay with Inter Miami as they shift to their new stadium, with coach Javier Mascherano praising his competitiveness and influence on the team.