'He's an alien' - Lionel Messi set for MVP three-peat after obliterating latest MLS record

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Tom Weber | Writer

Lionel Messi continued his irresistible form for Inter Miami in the team's comfortable 3-1 win over Atlanta United at the weekend.

The Herons are hitting form at the perfect time. With the Major League Soccer playoffs on the horizon - there are only four games left in the regular season - Miami are finding their feet under new head coach Kily Gonzalez.

Prior to the recent international break, the reigning champions were a mess. They hadn't won in league play in a month and were seemingly cursed at their new home ground, Nu Stadium.

Three games later, the mood couldn't be more different. Messi had his Argentina send-off during the break and now appears fully focused on Miami and intent on winning more silverware with his team.

The Herons have won three games on the bounce, which makes this their second-longest winning streak of the regular season. They have been very inconsistent this year, but just like in 2025, their big-game stars are peaking when it matters most.

Messi to win another MVP award

Messi has bagged two braces in these three games. He netted twice in a 4-0 beatdown of DC United and responded to being shut out by NYCFC with an incredible pair of goals against Atlanta United at the weekend. He leads the Golden Boot race with 25 goals in 27 games.

His two strikes came after he had provided a secondary assist - they are officially counted by MLS - for German Berterame's opener, taking his tally for the season to 15. In doing so, he became the first player in league history to notch 15+ assists in three consecutive years.

Messi has taken a whopping 170 shots this season, 73 of which have been on target. That is miles ahead of the Philadelphia Union's Milan Iloski, who sits second in both categories. When he is allowed to take that many shots, it's perhaps not surprising that he scores a lot of goals.

Unsurprisingly, the 39-year-old is the household favourite to retain his MVP award - again. Last year, Messi became just the second MLS player to win two MVP honors (after Preki) and the first to do it in back-to-back seasons. No one has ever won three, let alone completed a three-peat.

And the thing is, it will be fully deserved, even if Miami don't retain MLS Cup this year. Unlike San Diego's Anders Dreyer in 2025, no one has really been anywhere near Messi's level this season.

The only one who could have a realistic shot at taking the award off the Argentine is 2022 MVP Hany Mukhtar. Nashville SC will win the Supporters' Shield this year, and the German has produced 16 goals and eight assists. But even with those numbers, it seems a longshot.

According to Miami head coach Gonzalez, Messi is loving life right now. This is good news for the Herons, who are still unsure if the 39-year-old will keep playing. He is under contract through 2028, but he cast doubt on his long-term future after the passing of his father in August.

"I can't believe this guy does what he does at 39 years of age," Gonzalez said after Miami's win over Atlanta. "And what makes me happiest is that he's happy. So, if he's happy, he performs the way he performs, he enjoys it. Every day that I see him, I smile.

"What do I admire about him? Everything. He's a player who never stops surprising you. To me, he's an alien. He's a player who amazes me in every action, during every training session that I watch. And God willing, he'll keep on amazing us until the day he decides to retire."