Lionel Messi, Getty Images December 9, 2025, 7:40 p.m

This season has become phenomenal even by the standards of the eight-time winner of the Golden Ball.

Messi not only became the best player in the league, but also won the MLS Golden Boot, scoring 29 goals and providing 19 assists in the regular season. His strikeout total was the best in the league.

The culmination of the season was a victory in the MLS Cup final against the Vancouver Whitecaps with a score of 3:1. In the decider, Leo once again showed his class, providing two assists to Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende to help the Herons lift the USA’s top trophy for the first time in history.

In total, in the playoffs, Messi scored a fantastic 6 goals and 9 assists, which is an absolute postseason record. He became the sixth player in MLS history to win the MVP award and a championship in the same season, and the first to combine it with the Golden Boot and a regular season win.