Inter Miami closed out an exceptional 2025 by winning the Major League Soccer title after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. Lionel Messi was the team’s undisputed star, earning him the league’s MVP award and a record never before achieved in MLS history.
“Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi has been named the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP, becoming the first player in league history to win the award in consecutive seasons,” the league announced on Tuesday in a statement published on its official website.
Leo secured the trophy with a commanding lead over his competitors in the voting process, which included technical staff members from Major League Soccer clubs, media members, and current MLS players. A total of 70.43% of the votes went to Lionel Messi, while San Diego FC’s Anders Dreyer finished far behind with 11.15%, followed by Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga with 7.27%.
The award for the Argentine forward is justified not only because he was the leader of the championship-winning team but also due to his remarkable numbers. He recorded 48 goal contributions during the regular season (29 goals and 19 assists), the second-highest total in league history.
In addition, those numbers allowed him to finish as both the league’s top scorer and top assist provider simultaneously, a feat previously achieved by only one other player in Major League Soccer: Italian forward Sebastian Giovinco in 2015 with Toronto FC.
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David Beckham stablishes an impressive MLS record following Inter Miami’s victory with Lionel Messi at the spearhead
Messi keeps breaking records in MLS
The MVP award is the second consecutive one Lionel Messi has received since his arrival in Major League Soccer. In 2024, he had led Inter Miami on a historic run, becoming the team with the most points in a single regular season in league history. The Herons’ failure in the playoffs did not prevent Leo from winning his first MVP trophy.
With this second award, Messi joins a select group of stars who have won the MVP more than once. Until now, the only player to achieve that feat was Serbian midfielder Predrag Radosavljevic, better known as Preki, who won the trophy with the Kansas City Wizards in 1997 and 2003.
However, no player had ever won the MVP in consecutive years—until the arrival of Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward has completely transformed Major League Soccer with his talent and winning mentality, and in just two and a half years, he has shattered countless league records.
With his contract recently extended through December 2028, Messi now has three more seasons ahead to continue improving his numbers. If he maintains his current level of performance, he could become the first player in Major League Soccer history to win the MVP award three times.
