Lionel Messi receives the MLS MVP award for the second year in a row in front of his favorite crowd.

Fort Lauderdale (USA), Dec 9 (EFE)

Under an atypical drizzle for December in the Miami area and before his favorite audience, the young under-16 promises of international soccer, Lionel Messi was awarded this Tuesday with the Landon Donovan award for MVP (most valuable player) of the MLS this season.

“It’s a very nice recognition, especially after such a great season we’ve had in the MLS, although for me this isn’t an individual award, I share it with all my teammates,” Messi said upon receiving the trophy from Nash Dearmin, the captain of his team, Inter Miami, in the under-16 category.

The Argentine footballer has been named MVP of the United States’ top division league for the second year in a row —this is the first time in the 30 years of the MLS that this has happened— and two days after Inter Miami won the MLS Cup.

The event coincided with the opening day of the “Messi Cup”, the international under-16 youth tournament promoted by Lionel Messi, which is being held between Tuesday, December 9 and December 14 at Chase Stadium, home of Inter Miami, and in which the academies of Inter Miami, Inter Milan, River Plate, Newell’s Old Boys, Manchester City, Chelsea, Atlético de Madrid and FC Barcelona are participating.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber described him as “the greatest soccer player of all time” and highlighted his contributions beyond the field. “You are an inspiration to so many children and fans around the world. Your logo is ‘freedom to dream,’ and you are showing everyone what is possible,” he said.

Messi lamented that the rain had forced him to change his plans for the opening of his cup. “We wanted everyone to be here on the pitch, but it didn’t make sense for everyone to get wet,” he said, before promising to be at the stadium every day of the tournament.

The Most Valuable Player award is determined by a vote involving footballers, club coaching staff, and a selection of journalists. Messi received 70.43% of the votes in the final average, ahead of runner-up Anders Dreyer of San Diego FC, who garnered 11.15%.

The Argentine star not only had an outstanding performance with Inter Miami, but he also led the team to its first final and its first MLS Cup title on Saturday, December 6. Furthermore, in that match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, he provided two assists and guided the team to a 3-1 victory.

Messi’s historic regular season ended with 48 goal contributions (29 goals, 19 assists) in 28 games in 2025, the second-highest total in a single season in league history, including at least three contributions in nine games, also a league record.

This performance wasn’t just reflected in the statistics; it was also rewarded. With that level of production, Messi won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot as the top scorer.

The team’s collective offensive power also grew: Miami finished the season with more than 80 goals in all competitions, which positioned it as one of the most potent attacks in MLS history.

An immediate legacy in the league

Thanks to the so-called “Messi effect”, MLS recorded an average of 3.7 million viewers per week across streaming and television platforms in 2025, a 29% increase compared to 2024, according to official data from the league and AppleTV, the official platform of MLS.

That impact was also reflected in the stadiums, where the competition achieved its second-best historical season in attendance, with nearly two million fans and an average of 21,988 spectators per game.

The growth also extended to the digital environment, as the official accounts of MLS and its clubs collectively exceeded 13.7 billion impressions on social media throughout the year, representing a year-over-year increase of 17%, according to figures released by the organization.