Another historic moment for Lionel Messi! 38-year-old Argentina legend becomes first footballer ever to … | Cricket News
Lionel Messi has secured the MLS MVP award, making history as the first player to claim this honour in consecutive years. As the captain of the MLS Cup champions, Inter Miami, Messi has established himself as the dominant force in Major League Soccer.At 38, the Argentine star continues to break records, adding another milestone to his illustrious career. His outstanding performance included 29 goals and 19 assists during the regular season, leading the league in scoring.Messi joins Preki as only the second player to win multiple MVP awards in MLS history. While Preki won in 1997 and 2003, all other recipients have earned the award only once.“He was fantastic the whole season, with the numbers and also with the commitment,” Inter Miami coach and longtime Messi teammate Javier Mascherano said.Despite playing in only half of Inter Miami’s regular-season games in 2024, Messi’s impact was undeniable. While last year’s vote was close, this year’s decision was clear-cut.The voting results showed Messi receiving 70.4% of total votes. San Diego’s Anders Dreyer finished second with 11.2%, followed by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga at 7.3%, Cincinnati’s Evander at 4.8%, and Nashville’s Sam Surridge at 2.4%.Messi’s career accolades include eight Ballon d’Or titles, eight Pichichi trophies, six La Liga best player awards, three Best FIFA Men’s Player awards, three UEFA Men’s Player of the Year wins, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls, and 15 selections as Argentina’s best player. He has won 47 trophies with club and country, including the 2022 World Cup.“The reality,” Mascherano said as the regular season was ending, “is that Leo clears all doubts.”Messi becomes the sixth player to win both MVP and a championship in the same MLS season. Only Josef Martinez of Atlanta United in 2018 had previously achieved the triple feat of MVP, title, and Golden Boot in one year, which Messi matched in 2025.In MLS history, only four players have been MVP finalists the year after winning the award: Carlos Valderrama (1996-1997), Marco Etcheverry (1998-1999), David Villa (2016-2017), and Josef Martinez (2018-2019).Messi has committed his future to Inter Miami with a three-year contract extension. He will be present when the team opens its new stadium near Miami International Airport next season.Back-to-back MVPs are common in other major US sports leagues. Recent examples include Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge in baseball, A’ja Wilson in the WNBA, Nikola Jokic in the NBA, Aaron Rodgers in the NFL, and Alex Ovechkin in the NHL.
