December 09, (THEWILL) — Lionel Messi has claimed the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award for the second consecutive year, becoming the first player to achieve this feat in successive seasons. The Argentine forward collected the honour ahead of Inter Miami’s victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in Saturday’s MLS Cup final.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner delivered exceptional numbers during his second full campaign in Major League Soccer. Messi recorded 29 goals and 19 assists across 28 regular-season matches, earning his maiden MLS Golden Boot. His postseason contributions proved equally remarkable, with six goals and nine assists setting a new record for total goal involvements in a single playoff run.
His 2025 performance also saw him register 10 games with multiple goals, a first in league history, whilst becoming only the second player to lead MLS in both goals and assists during one season. Sebastian Giovinco of Toronto FC previously accomplished this during the 2015 campaign. Messi joins Preki, who won the award in 1997 and 2003, as the only two-time MVP recipients.
Inter Miami lifted the MLS Cup with a 3-1 win over Vancouver, marking the club’s first league title. Messi contributed two assists in the final, which served as the last match for teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who both retired following the trophy presentation. The trio made history by becoming the first players to win both a World Cup and an MLS Cup during their careers.
Commissioner Don Garber presented the MVP trophy to Messi in Miami before the inaugural Messi Cup youth tournament. “Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions,” Messi said following the match. The victory brought in his 47th team trophy and earned him the MLS Cup MVP award for his performance throughout the playoffs.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
