After a rocky start of the season, Lionel Messi is now in the not to stop form. For the fourth game in a row, the captain of Argentina scored twice – this time against the Revolution of New England – he put him firmly in the race for the MVP of the competition and at a striking distance from one of the most iconic data of MLS.
It was not long ago – May 19, 2025 – that critics came up after Inter Miami was hit 3-0 by bitter rivals Orlando City in Chase Stadium. The mood was gloomy. Doubts swirled around head coach Javier Mascherano and the team looked eager. But just over a month later the tide has changed and Messi is again the most exciting player in the competition.
He has been red-hot since his stunning free-kick goal against Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup. That was followed by a performance of two goals against CF Montréal, and now a brace against the struggling speed. Even if New England is close to the Eastern Conference, the dominance of Messi cannot be rejected.
Four games, four brackets for Messi
Messi has now scored two goals in each of his last four league games: against Columbus Crew, Montréal (twice) and New England. And while the sinking of Inter Miami questions Messi called Messi had five goals and two assists in his first 10 league matches-being a recent run, the story has completely reversed.
During its last five MLS trips, the Argentinian legend has yielded nine goals and four assists, so that the revival of Miami is fueled and informed the rest of the competition.
Inter Miami Superstar back in the MVP interview
Messi is currently second in the MLS Golden Boot Race and only follows Sam Surridge from Nashville SC. But Inter Miami has played three fewer matches than Nashville, and the two games are against this weekend – a chance for Messi to close the gap.
He has already added 14 goals and seven assists this season and led Inter Miami in both categories. The next nearest teammate, Tadeo Allende, has only seven goals, while Telasco Segovia and Luis Suárez each have five.
Messi Chasing Vela's Record
With 16 more games in the regular season to play, Messi is at pace to make a run on Carlos Vela's MLS target record of one season of 34, based in 2019. To match it, he must, on average, slightly more than 1.2 goals per game on average, but not out of reach of Messi.
Whether he breaks the album or not, one thing is clear: Messi has found his rhythm and MLS is his stage.