Inter Miami: Lionel Messi named Player of the Matchday

Lionel Messi has been named the MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra for Matchdays 23 and 24 following his performances for Inter Miami CF.

Messi scored two goals in each of Miami's consecutive 2-1 victories, against the New England Revolution and Nashville SC. This marks his fifth consecutive MLS match scoring a brace.

With 11 goals in his last six league games, Messi ties Josef Martínez's record for the most goals scored in a six-game stretch in MLS history. He also becomes the first player in league history to score multiple goals in five straight matches.

Messi's recent scoring surge brings his season total to 16 goals, tying him with Nashville SC's Sam Surridge for the lead in the Audi Golden Boot race. Furthermore, with 36 goals and 23 assists in his last 35 matches across all competitions (averaging over one goal and 1.68 goal contributions per game), Messi is positioned to potentially become the league's first back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner.

This award marks Messi's fourth Player of the Matchday honor in 2025 and his 10th overall since joining MLS in August 2023. He is now the league's sixth player to win the award 10 times and holds the record for the most awards among active players, surpassing Josef Martínez (nine).

Inter Miami, undefeated in their last six matches with five consecutive wins, featuring Messi, next plays on Wednesday night against FC Cincinnati, a top Eastern Conference opponent.

The MLS Player of the Matchday award is selected each matchday through a voting process managed by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) contributes 75% of the vote, while a fan vote on Instagram determines the remaining 25%.