Messi is now a two-time MLS MVP, the first to claim the award in successive seasons
He won with 70.4% of the vote, the league’s widest margin since 2015
Messi became the second player to complete an MLS treble: MVP, MLS Cup, and Golden Boot
Lionel Messi has rewritten Major League Soccer history by becoming the first player ever to win the MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in consecutive seasons. The Inter Miami forward now stands alongside former USMNT international Preki as the only two-time winners in league history.
Preki earned his MVP honours in 1997 and 2003, while every other MLS MVP remains a one-time recipient.
Inter Miami manager and longtime Argentina teammate Javier Mascherano lauded Messi after Saturday’s MLS Cup final, stating, “He was fantastic the whole season, with the numbers and also with the commitment.”
Landslide Vote Confirms Messi’s Dominance
Despite playing just over half of Inter Miami’s regular-season matches in 2024 – a factor that initially raised questions about his MVP candidacy – Messi silenced any debate. Whereas last year’s race was tight, this season delivered a clear verdict.
Messi captured 70.4% of the total vote, the highest margin since Sebastian Giovinco in 2015. San Diego’s Anders Dreyer finished second on 11.2%, followed by Denis Bouanga (7.3%), Evander (4.8%), and Sam Surridge (2.4%).
MLS Commissioner Don Garber credited Messi’s unparalleled mindset. “There’s something about the way he’s wired. He’s thinking about the game like nobody else ever has,” Garber said. “His intensity and desire to win is what makes him the greatest of all time.”
This new accolade becomes part of Messi’s vast personal collection, which includes eight Ballon d’Or titles, eight Pichichi trophies, six La Liga Best Player honours, three The Best FIFA Men’s Player awards, three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year titles, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls, and at least 15 Argentina Player of the Year awards.
He has also contributed to 47 major trophies for club and country, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making him the most decorated men’s footballer in history. As Mascherano put it, “The reality is that Leo clears all doubts.”
Historic MLS Treble For Messi
Messi has now become just the sixth player in MLS history to win both the MVP award and the league title in the same season. Among the previous five, only Josef Martinez managed the remarkable treble of MVP, MLS Cup, and the Golden Boot in a single campaign – achieved in 2018. Messi matched that feat in 2025, elevating himself into an exclusive club.
Only four players – Carlos Valderrama, Marco Etcheverry, David Villa, and Josef Martinez – had ever returned as finalists after winning MVP. Yet none had ever won the award in consecutive years until Messi’s achievement this season.
His future at Inter Miami is secure as well. Messi has signed a three-year extension, keeping him at the club as it prepares to open its new stadium near Miami International Airport next season. The club’s valuation has soared since his arrival two and a half years ago.
Co-owner David Beckham highlighted Messi’s relentless will to succeed. “Leo is a winner. It’s simple as that,” he said. “There’s more to what makes him the greatest than just what he does on the field. He continues to raise that level, and that’s what great players do.”
While back-to-back MVPs are common in other major American leagues, with recent examples including Shohei Ohtani, A’ja Wilson, Nikola Jokic, Aaron Rodgers, and Alex Ovechkin, MLS had never seen such a feat until Messi.
As Beckham summed up, “Great players always believe that they can win more and raise the level. And that’s what Leo’s doing.”
(With AP Inputs)
