Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi has been awarded the 2025 MLS MVP, marking him as the first player in league history to earn this honor in two consecutive seasons.
Messi is only the second player to win the MVP award twice, joining Preki (Predrag Radosavljević), who claimed it in 1997 and 2003.
This season, the Inter Miami captain led the league with 29 goals across 28 games, earning the 2025 Golden Boot and contributing to Inter Miami’s third-place finish in the Eastern Conference, along with 19 assists.
The Argentina forward is the only player in MLS history to achieve over 36 goal contributions in multiple seasons, accomplishing this in both 2024 and 2025.
“He was fantastic throughout the season, both in terms of his statistics and his dedication,” said Inter Miami coach and long-time Messi teammate Javier Mascherano.
Messi added six goals and nine assists during the playoffs, helping Miami secure its first MLS Cup with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium on December 6.
Messi surpassed finalists Anders Dreyer, Denis Bouanga, Evander, and Sam Surridge, garnering 70.43% of the total votes. Voting for the MVP includes input from the media, players, and clubs.
The World Cup winner secured 83.05% of the media vote, 55.17% of the player vote, and 73.08% of the club vote, significantly outperforming the other nominees.
Since joining the club in the summer of 2023, Messi has steered Inter Miami to its inaugural Leagues Cup victory, claimed the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, contributed to setting a record for the most points in a single season, and now won the league title.
Individually, he has received the 2023 Newcomer of the Year award, the 2025 Golden Boot, and both the 2024 and 2025 MLS MVP awards.
“I consider him the ‘unicorn of unicorns’,” MLS commissioner Don Garber remarked about Messi during an Inter Miami match earlier in this season’s playoffs. “His approach to the game is unprecedented. His intensity and desire to win are what cement his status as the greatest of all time. While many players are competitive, he possesses a unique focus that drives him to excel in crucial moments.”
This latest accolade adds to Messi’s extensive list of individual achievements, including eight Ballon d’Or titles, eight Pichichi trophies as La Liga’s top scorer, six La Liga best player awards, three Best FIFA Men’s Player honors, three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year titles, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls, and a staggering 15 selections as Argentina’s best player in a given year. He has also accumulated 47 trophies at both the club and international levels, including the 2022 World Cup, making him the most decorated player in the history of men’s football.
“The reality,” Mascherano said as the regular season concluded, “is that Leo dispels all doubts.”