Messi sets new benchmark with historic back-to-back MLS MVP win

Lionel Messi has added another milestone to an already staggering career, becoming the first player in Major League Soccer history to win the Landon Donovan MVP award in consecutive seasons. The announcement on Tuesday capped a year where the 38-year-old turned Inter Miami into a machine that simply refused to slow down.

Messi’s numbers told their own story. He registered 29 goals and 19 assists in just 28 appearances, driving Miami to their first-ever MLS Cup triumph and finishing the season just shy of breaking Carlos Vela’s all-time goal contribution record. Even at an age where most footballers fade, he continues to operate at a pace that bends every expectation placed before him.

Despite the individual spotlight, this season was far more demanding for Miami. The club competed across five different competitions, logging a record 58 matches in a single calendar year. Through it all, Messi was the stabilising force, providing momentum in the regular season and becoming even more ruthless in the playoffs.

A season that stretched limits and rewrote the record books

While Vela still holds the single-season regular-season contributions record, Messi established a new combined benchmark across the campaign and playoffs, amassing 61 goal contributions. His impact in the decisive moments proved crucial: six goals and seven assists in Miami’s six-game sprint to the MLS Cup, capped by a two-assist display that earned him the Final MVP title.

Miami’s late-season push was equally Messi-led, with 10 goals and nine assists in the final eight league matches. That run strengthened his position in the MVP race ahead of fellow finalists Denis Bouanga, Anders Dreyer, Evander, and Sam Surridge.

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Voting wasn’t close. Messi received 70% of the total ballots, dominating across media, players, and club representatives. His media vote share alone stood at 83%.

Defying age, again

Even with two MVP titles in the bag, Messi remains behind one man in the age category: Preki, who won the award at 40. But in terms of consistency, dominance, and influence on a team’s identity, Messi’s back-to-back wins underline something different, the ability to stretch the limits of longevity in modern football.

The 2025 season may be over, but the statement it leaves behind is clear: Messi is still redefining what peak performance looks like.