Lionel Messi ranks among the top 2 all-time greats in MLS

Lionel Messi continues to break records in Major League Soccer since joining Inter Miami CF.

During the away match at Colorado Rapids' stadium, where the home team celebrated its 30th anniversary before a record-breaking crowd, Messi opened the scoring with a penalty kick in the 18th minute. Despite Colorado equalizing twice, the Inter Miami captain stepped up decisively with a winning goal in the 79th minute, cutting in from the right flank and finishing accurately to complete a brace and secure a 3-2 victory for the pink-clad team.

Following that brilliant performance, Messi was voted as the MLS Player of the Week for the 14th time in his career, while also being included in the weekly standout team. This marks the second time he has received this honor this season, after previously winning it in Week 2 with another brace against Orlando City SC.

It is noteworthy that Messi needed only 60 MLS matches to reach the milestone of 14 award wins. That means approximately every 4 matches, he is honored once—a rare efficiency in the league's history. This achievement places Messi tied for the second position all-time with legend Jeff Cunningham. The only person ranked above him is MLS icon Landon Donovan, with 19 award wins.

Experts are now questioning whether Messi can surpass Donovan during the 2026 season. The numbers suggest this is entirely possible. Since his first full season in 2024, Messi has consistently maintained excellent form and has been honored 6 times across two consecutive seasons.

In the 2025 season, he concluded the campaign with a total of 12 awards, becoming the first player in MLS history to achieve this in two consecutive seasons. Since the start of 2024, the Argentine superstar has directly contributed to 91 goals (56 goals, 35 assists). This performance ties for third place in league history over a three-season span, matching Denis Bouanga (2023-2025), and is only behind Luciano Acosta's record of 93 goal contributions (2022-2024).

With many match rounds remaining in the season and Messi still maintaining an impressive explosive frequency, Donovan's milestone of 19 is clearly no longer too distant. If he continues to excel, El Pulga could certainly write a new chapter in MLS history wearing the Inter Miami jersey.