Lionel Messi has been named Major League Soccer (MLS) Player of the Year for the second consecutive time. The announcement was made by Major League Soccer on Tuesday. The 38-year-old star led Inter Miami to the league title and was the team’s biggest strength throughout the season. He also finished the season as the league’s top scorer.
With this achievement, Messi has set a new record. He is now the first player in MLS history to win the MVP award in back-to-back years. He is also the second player to win the award twice overall. Previously, Predrag Radosavljević won it twice—in 1997 and 2003. Messi scored 29 goals, the fourth-highest tally in MLS history. He won the Golden Boot with 19 assists.
Messi said, “I’m happy to receive this award. And I’m delighted to win it two years in a row as the first player in this league’s history. I’m very grateful.” He added, “It feels good to win individual awards, but I want to share this with my teammates.”
He has become only the second player to top the league in both goals and assists in the same season. Previously, only Sebastian Giovinco achieved this in 2015. Messi also dominated in the playoffs—scoring six goals and providing nine assists. In the final against Vancouver, he led Inter Miami to a 3–1 victory and was named MLS Cup MVP, contributing two assists in that match.
Last October, Messi renewed his contract with Inter Miami for another three years. With this award, he has added yet another milestone to his illustrious career, which already includes eight Ballon d’Or titles, three FIFA Player of the Year awards, and two World Cup Golden Balls.
