MLS

The presence of Lionel Messi wasn't enough to make Inter Miami the most valuable MLS franchise for 2025.

Los Angeles FC retained that title with a total valuation of $1.28 billion, per Sportico. Inter Miami did at least vault into the No. 2 spot ($1.19 billion). Atlanta United ($1.08 billion) fell two places to No. 4.

Here's how the top 5 rounded out 👀⤵️@LAFC @InterMiamiCF @LAGalaxy @ATLUTD @newyorkcityfc

Check out the full list: https://t.co/ms4FWZs1n7 pic.twitter.com/VWy39U9cI4

— Sportico (@Sportico) January 30, 2025

Five MLS teams are estimated to be worth $1 billion or more, with New York City FC becoming the newest member of the group. When Sportico first conducted this exercise in 2021, nobody reached that threshold. LAFC was the closest at $860 million.

Another sign of MLS' robust financial health is that the people behind San Diego FC had to pay a $500 million expansion fee in 2023, up from the $325 million it took to make Charlotte FC a reality in 2019.

MLS still has a long way to go to be considered one of the top soccer leagues in the world, and it may never actually get there. Money alone doesn't make up for the years and decades of history the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and others have established.

But the 10-figure valuations speak for themselves.

For a long time, American soccer fans have lamented the absence of a traditional promotion/relegation system in the country. Being a closed league has helped set MLS apart in another way, though.

Sportico's Kurt Badenhausen detailed last May how prospective investors were drawn to MLS in part because they don't have to face the threat that a relegation would pose. Dropping into a second division would mean less prestige and much less revenue. With MLS, on the other hand, the bottom line doesn't change too much regardless of whether you finish first or last.

The San Jose Earthquakes were comfortably the worst team in MLS, their 21 points putting them nine below Chicago Fire FC in 28th. The Earthquakes' valuation on Sportico climbed by seven percent to $600 million.

Despite talks between Neymar and the MLS' Chicago Fire, it remains "unlikely" that the Brazilian star will sign a deal with the club, according to Paul Tenorio and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic.

Per that report, "Sources cautioned that MLS is not currently a priority for Neymar and his family, despite the exploratory dialogue between his camp and representatives of the Fire."

Chicago Fire have opened talks to sign Neymar from Al Hilal 🇺🇸

Sky Sports News understands the talks are at a very early stage and it would be a difficult deal to do for the MLS club 📝 pic.twitter.com/k3PNeykMLA

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 16, 2025

🚨🇺🇸 Chicago Fire have genuine interest in Neymar Jr but negotiations are not at advanced stages with player side so far.

Neymar and his camp have not given any green light to proceed with formal contract proposal yet.

Early stages of the story and nothing imminent as of now. pic.twitter.com/38ySRQ9lmT

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 16, 2025

Neymar, 32, currently plays for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, though injuries have limited him to just seven appearances since transferring from PSG in Aug. 2023. He'll be out of contract over the summer, though leaving for MLS wouldn't secure him anything close to the reported $103 million he's making per year at Al Hilal.

Tenorio and Cortegana noted that previous reporting put Neymar's prospective earnings at Chicago around $20 million, similar to what Inter Miami is paying Messi. Partnerships with Apple, Adidas and Fanatics likely take Messi far about the $20 million figure, however, and his deal with Inter Miami includes the option to purchase an ownership stake in the club upon his retirement.

Whether Neymar would have been offered such perks is unclear.

In his prime, the Brazilian superstar was one of the sport's most exciting players, both for club and country. His playing days included stops at Santos, Barcelona—where he was teammates with Messi and Luis Suárez and won two La Liga titles and won Champions League title—and PSG. He is Brazil's all-time leading goalscorer (79 goals in 128 caps).

Despite his recent issues with injuries, he would be a huge draw for MLS. While his return may not ultimately come with Chicago, Neymar has expressed an interest in potentially reuniting with Messi and Suárez again.

"Obviously, playing again with Messi and Suárez would be incredible," he told CNN's Aleks Klosok and Amanda Davies earlier in January. "They are my friends. We still speak to each other. It would be interesting to revive this trio. I'm happy at Al Hilal, I'm happy in Saudi Arabia, but who knows. Football is full of surprises."

Inter Miami does not currently have room to add Neymar as a designated player, however, as Tenorio and Cortegana noted. And if he's not interested in playing MLS soccer in general, it's all a moot point.

Neymar could be joining the MLS soon.

Per ESPN's Jeff Carlisle, the Brazil and Al Hilal star is in talks with three MLS teams about a possible transfer. According to Carlisle, one of the three teams Neymar is talking to is Chicago Fire FC, but Lionel Messi's Inter Miami is not currently in the running.

Last week, Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said that while "every coach in the world wants" Neymar, MLS restrictions would make adding the striker "impossible."

"We cannot talk about Ney because we have nothing," Mascherano told reporters at MLS media day. "Obviously Ney is a great player. Every coach in the world wants him but at the moment, but you know the MLS rules around the salary cap. So for us in this moment, it's impossible to try to think about him."

According to Carlisle, Neymar is still "holding out hope" of joining his former Barcelona teammates Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami.

Neymar, who was with Paris Saint-Germain from 2017 to 2023, joined Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal in 2023 for a fee of $97.6 million. His time with the club has not gone as he would have hoped as he dealt with a handful of injuries since his arrival.

Shortly after making his debut for his new club in September of 2023, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty in October, ending his club season after just five games.

He returned to the field this fall, but a hamstring injury has limited his play this season. He's played just seven games and has registered one goal during his time with Al Hilal.

His Al Hilal contract runs through June and he can begin negotiating contracts with a new team.

Even if he is unable to join Messi, Neymar's MLS debut would undoubtedly be highly anticipated if he decides to join the league.

The best talent in college soccer found out where they'll be playing in the MLS on Friday night.

San Diego FC got the first pick when the MLS SuperDraft started on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.

Ahead of its inaugural 2025 season, San Diego received the first choice of 477 eligible players from 150 schools available in the draft.

The other 29 MLS clubs selected in reverse order of the 2024 standings through three rounds, with reigning champions LA Galaxy originally slated to select last in each round.

After a busy afternoon of drafts and trades, find the complete results of the first 30-team SuperDraft here.

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Round 1 Draft Results

1. San Diego: Manu Duah, midfielder, UC Santa Barbara (Generation adidas)

2. San Jose: Max Floriani, defender, Saint Louis

3. Chicago: Dean Boltz, forward, Wisconsin (Generation adidas)

4. Colorado (from SKC): Alex Harris, forward, Cornell (Generation adidas)

5. San Jose (from NE): Reid Roberts, defender, San Francisco

6. Colorado (from NSH): Matthew Senanou, defender, Xavier

7. St. Louis: Emil Jaaskalainen, forward, Akron

8. Kansas City (from COL, from PHI): Jansen Miller, defender, Indiana

9. Charlotte (from SD, from TOR): Mikah Thomas, defender, Connecticut

10. D.C. United: Hakim Karamoko, forward, North Carolina State

11. Dallas: Enzo Newman, defender, Oregon State

12. Colorado (from ATX): Efetobo Aror, midfielder, Portland

13. Montréal: Michael Adedokun, forward, Ohio State

14. Portland: Ian Smith, defender, Denver

15. Vancouver: Tate Johnson, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

16. Colorado: Sydney Wathuta, forward, Vermont

17. New York City (from SD, from CLT): Max Murray, defender, Vermont

18. New England (from HOU): Donovan Parisian, goalkeeper, San Diego

19. Salt Lake: Jesus Barea, forward, Missouri State

20. LA (from CIN): Jason Bucknor, defender, Michigan

21. Salt Lake (from CLB): Max Kerkvliet, goalkeeper, Connecticut

22. LAFC (from MIA): Alec Hughes, forward, Massachusetts

23. Toronto (from DC, from ATL): Reid Fisher, defender, San Diego State

24. San Diego (from NYC): Ian Pilcher, defender, UNC Charlotte

25. Minnesota: Roman Torres, midfielder, Creighton

26. Colorado (from VAN, from LAFC): Joshua Copeland, forward, Detroit Mercy

27. Orlando: Joran Gerbet, midfielder, Clemson

28. Seattle: Ryan Baer, midfielder, West Virginia

29. RSL (from RBNY): Lineker Rodrigues Dos Santos, forward, Marshall

30. RSL (from LA): Sergi Solans, forward, Oregon State

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San Diego FC kicked off the SuperDraft by selecting midfielder Manu Duah out of UC Santa Barbara.

Because Duah has already signed a Generation adidas contract, he is guaranteed a spot on the San Diego FC roster, at least as a reserve, for three years.

The selection marks the first time in history a UCSB student has gone first overall in a professional draft. Duah earned the honor after impressing as a defensive midfielder in 14 games during his freshman college season.

San Diego FC have selected midfielder Manu Duah from Santa Barbara with the No. 1 overall selection at the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.

Duah signed a Generation adidas deal. The big central midfielder heads to San Diego. pic.twitter.com/rTu4OTXi2Q

— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) December 20, 2024

Manu Duah played in 14 games for @UCSBMensSoccer this season, played the 90 ten times and helped the Gauchos to six clean sheets! https://t.co/mYn3PhDNrV

— Andrew McDevitt (@AMcDevittTV) December 20, 2024

Congratulations Manu Duah! First overall pick is from The Big West! https://t.co/4WXP0J117k

— Dan Butterly (@DanButterly) December 20, 2024

The San Jose Earthquakes meanwhile drafted SLU defender Max Floriani with the second pick of the draft. A key part of the St. Louis defense for three seasons, he was the only pre-signed senior in the SuperDraft.

.@maxfloriani8 got some game 😤.

Take a closer look at our first selection in the 2025 @MLS SuperDraft! @SLUMensSoccer | #Quakes74 pic.twitter.com/qYnET9qGzA

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) December 20, 2024

Chicago added Wisconsin forward Dean Boltz with the No. 3 pick, marking the highest draft position in program history. Boltz was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year after scoring 10 goals and adding four assists in his first college season.

Forward Sydney Wathuta and defender Max Murry were selected with back-to-back picks by Colorado and New York City after helping lead Vermont to a national championship.

The 2nd & 3rd First Round @MLS SuperDraft Picks in program history go back-to-back.

𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 - 𝗦𝘆𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮 - @ColoradoRapids
𝟭𝟳𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 - 𝗠𝗮𝘅 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘆 - @newyorkcityfc #LetsRally pic.twitter.com/5cYB7n0n1b

— UVM Men's Soccer (@UVMmsoccer) December 20, 2024

The on-going MLS SuperDraft just saw consecutive Catamounts claimed in Sydney Wathuta and Max Murray. Both integral parts of the national championship run. #LetsRally https://t.co/5EVp7dxU2b

— Pat Lynch (@patlynchsports) December 20, 2024

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Round 2 Results

31. San Diego: Harrison Bertos, defender, Washington

32. San Jose: Nick Fernandez, midfielder, Portland

33. Chicago: Travis Smith Jr., defender, Wake Forest

34. Kansas City: Anthony Samways, defender, Ohio State

35. New England: Eric Howard, defender, Georgetown

36. Nashville: Alioune Ka, forward, Cornell

37. St. Louis: Joey Zalinsky, defender, Rutgers

38. Colorado (from PHI): Charlie Harper, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

39. Toronto: Michael Sullivan, midfielder, Pittsburgh

40. D.C. United: Daniel Ittycheria, forward, Princeton

41. Dallas: Samuel Sarver, forward, Indiana

42. Austin: Riley Thomas, defender, UNC Chapel Hill

43. Minnesota (from MTL): Kieran Chandler, defender, Connecticut

44. Montréal (from POR): Arik Duncan, forward, UC Berkeley

45. Vancouver: Nikola Djordjevic, defender, SMU

46. Orlando (from RSL, from COL): Titus Sandy Jr., defender, Clemson

47. Charlotte: Andrew Johnson, defender, Cornell

48. Houston: Bo Cummins, defender, Wake Forest

49. Salt Lake: Nick Dang, defender, UVA

50. Montréal (from CIN): Caden Grabfelder, forward, Penn State

51. Columbus: Cesar Ruvalcaba, defender, SMU

52. Miami: Bailey Sparks, midfielder, SMU

53. Atlanta: Ronan Wynne, defender, Denver

54. New York City: Collin McCamy, midfielder, Northwestern

55. Minnesota: Logan Dorsey, forward, Kentucky

56. San Diego (from LAFC): Samy Kanaan, forward, San Diego

57. Orlando: Collins Oduro, forward, Indiana

58. Seattle: Demian Alvarez, defender, Seattle

59. RSL (from RBNY): Trace Alphin, goalkeeper, Wake Forest

60. LA: Jacob Woznicki, forward, Hofstra

Real Salt Lake made a series of trades to stock up on SuperDraft picks, including three in the first round and five overall.

RSL has taken several of the top players available in the SuperDraft according to the MLS top prospects by position, including most recent pick Nick Dang, a center back out of Virginia. https://t.co/3BuTrupPDe pic.twitter.com/gwlyc0uxQH

— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) December 20, 2024

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Round 3 Draft Order

61. San Diego: Donovan Sessoms, forward, Sacremento State

62. Colorado (from SJ): Donovan Phillip, forward, NC State

63. Chicago: Geni Kanyane, defender, Dayton

64. Kansas City: Leon Koehl, midfielder, Maryland

65. New England: CJ Williams, defender, Boston College

66. Nashville: Ethan Ballek, forward, USC

67. St. Louis: Colin Welsh, goalkeeper, Western Michigan

68. Colorado (from PHI): Shawn Smart, defender, Las Vegas Lights

69. Toronto: Joseph Melto Quiah, forward, Dayton

70. D.C. United, Jonah Biggar, defender, USC

71. Dallas: Mohamed Cisset, defender, Penn State

72. Austin: Patrick Gryczewski, forward, Rhode Island

73. Montréal: Arthur Duquenne, defender, Clemson

74. Portland: Lukas Burns, goalkeeper, Providence

75. Colorado (from VAN): Matthew Van Horn, midfielder, Georgetown

76. Seattle (from COL): Trace Terry, forward, Bowling Green State

77. Charlotte: Barzee Blama, forward, Mercer

78. New York City (from HOU): AJ Smith, forward, UVA

79. Salt Lake: Liam O'Gara, midfielder, Wake Forest

80. Cincinnati: Ben Augee, midfielder, Gonzaga

81. Columbus: Drew Kerr, forward, Duke

82. Miami: Michael Appiah, forward, Florida International

83. Atlanta: William Kulvik, defender, Maryland

84. New York City: Arnau Farnos, forward, Oregon State

85. Minnesota: Nick Collins, defender, Rutgers

86. D.C. United (from LAFC): Grant Bailey, defender, Loyola Chicago

87. Orlando: Takahiro Fujita, defender, Marshall

88. New York City (from SEA): Nicholas Cavallo, UCLA

89. RSL (from RBNY): Aleksandar Vukovic, Marshall

90. LA: Nicklaus Sullivan, Los Angeles FC II

The schedule for the 2025 MLS season has been released.

The league released the slate for its 30th season on Thursday. The 30 clubs will play 34 games each, with 17 home games and 17 away games. The league season will begin on Feb. 22, with the opening game being between Lionel Messi-led Inter Miami FC and NYCFC in Fort Lauderdale.

That game will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be followed by 12 more games on that Saturday.

The 2025 season will feature a new team, San Diego FC, and will also see pauses for the Club World Cup and Gold Cup. It will also feature two 30th-anniversary special matchups as DC United will take on the San Jose Earthquakes in honor of the first-ever MLS Game on April 6 while DC United and the LA Galaxy will play on July 12 to honor the first MLS Championship Game.

The season opener will be the first time MLS fans can see Messi and Inter Miami since the team fell in the first round of the 2024 postseason. This came after the team went 22-4-8 and claimed the top overall record in MLS.

The Galaxy are the league's defending champs and will hope to earn a seventh overall championship.

With the 2025 MLS SuperDraft just around the corner, you can find all of the information you need—including the date and time, watching details, draft order and players to know—to prepare you for the annual event below.

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When

Friday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m. ET

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Watch

MLS Season Pass

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Draft Order

1. San Diego FC

2. San Jose Earthquakes

3. Chicago Fire FC

4. Sporting Kansas City

5. New England Revolution

6. Nashville SC

7. St. Louis City SC

8. Colorado Rapids

9. San Diego FC

10. D.C. United

11. FC Dallas

12. Austin FC

13. CF Montréal

14. Portland Timbers

15. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

16. Colorado Rapids

17. Charlotte FC

18. Houston Dynamo FC

19. Real Salt Lake

20. LA Galaxy

21. Columbus Crew

22. Inter Miami CF

23. Atlanta United FC

24. New York City FC

25. Minnesota United FC

26. Colorado Rapids

27. Orlando City SC

28. Seattle Sounders FC

29. New York Red Bulls

30. LA Galaxy

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Players to Know

Alex Harris had a fantastic season for Cornell and appears likely to be a coveted prospect after scoring 19 goals and adding five assists this past season. For teams in need of some scoring upside, Harris provides it.

So does NC State's Hakim Karamoko, who had seven goals and two assists as a sophomore in 2024. And Akron's Emil Jaaskelainen turned plenty of heads this past season, scoring 23 goals and adding eight assists. He was dominant.

A bunch of people asked about the nation's leading scorer Emil Jaaskelainen and he headlines this regional group as one of the expected 2025 MLS SuperDraft selections.

The unanimous BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year scored 23 goals over the course of the 2024 season. He's… https://t.co/DIrE0597Ps pic.twitter.com/HOAHCV69pk

— Mark Kelkenberg (@MarkKelkenberg) December 5, 2024

Among the midfielders, Ohio State's Michael Adedokun flashed in 2024, earning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors.

And to think the 2024 @bigten Midfielder of the Year almost didn't play soccer.@OhioStateMSOC star Michael Adedokun shares the story of his mother originally not wanting him to play the sport 👇#B1GToday x #B1GSoccer pic.twitter.com/lZp4Ddhb12

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) December 10, 2024

Ohio State's Michael Adedokun is one of my favorite prospects within the collegiate level. He has already shown what he can do with a great supporting cast under the management of Brian Maisonneuve, leading one of the nation's best offenses, and it's my belief that the best is… https://t.co/BPfmZwckdH pic.twitter.com/BGbv3wFsgO

— Mark Kelkenberg (@MarkKelkenberg) December 5, 2024

Michael Adedokun having a night!

💻: @ESPNPlus x @OhioStateMSOC pic.twitter.com/pHHDLNH0zm

— Big Ten Soccer (@B1GSoccer) December 7, 2024

Sam Bassett, an attacking midfielder for Denver, was named a first-team All-American selection after being a second-team pick last year. He contributed nine goals and 13 assists this season.

This year's draft class isn't as strong on defenders and it wouldn't be surprising if there weren't many selected in the top 10.

Arguably the greatest soccer player of all time is set to make his mark on the hugely popular Fortnite video game on Friday night.

The official Fortnite account on X posted a video Friday showing off the Lionel Messi skins that will be available for purchase:

Live the Legend.

Tonight⚽ pic.twitter.com/gu10P0RGkS

— Fortnite (@Fortnite) December 13, 2024

One of the skins is Messi himself in his soccer kit, while the other is a regal-looking lion, likely playing off Messi's "Leo" nickname.

Per SI.com's Amanda Langell, gamers will get to play as Messi in his uniform or street clothes and as two different lions if they purchase the skins.

Also available for purchase separately or as part of the Messi bundle are two pickaxes, two back blings and two emotes.

Messi is the latest in a long line of superstar athletes and celebrities to be featured in Fortnite.

The 37-year-old Messi is the second-leading goal scorer in the history of major professional soccer behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, and he boasts a résumé that few can challenge.

Messi is an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or as the top player in the world, and a two-time FIFA World Cup Golden Ball winner as the top player at the World Cup.

The Argentine has also won four UEFA Champions League titles, and he led Argentina to a World Cup win in 2022.

After primarily starring in Europe for Barcelona and then Paris Saint-Germain, Messi made the move to the United States in 2023, joining Inter Miami.

By virtue of scoring 20 goals in 19 league matches last season, Messi was named MLS MVP, adding another major accolade to his track record.

The Los Angeles Galaxy are MLS champions once again.

The Galaxy claimed the MLS Cup for a league-record sixth time on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

LA GALAXY ARE CHAMPIONS OF MLS FOR A RECORD SIXTH TIME 🏆 pic.twitter.com/IZHArjxlt3

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 7, 2024

Saturday marked LA's first MLS championship since 2014.

The Red Bulls held possession for longer in the final but only managed three shots on net. LA was able to generate six shots on net and 12 attempts and only committed eight fouls.

All of the goals came in the first half, with the Galaxy getting started early.

JP2⃣8⃣ pic.twitter.com/dE5kfV2mo7

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) December 7, 2024

Joseph Paintsil was able to score in the ninth minute after a strong set and then Dejan Joveljic doubled the lead just a few minutes later.

Dejan Joveljić gives LA Galaxy a 2-0 lead after just 13 minutes then hits the Robbie Keane celebration 🤝

(via @MLSes) pic.twitter.com/eN8ahSlvge

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 7, 2024

New York would get on the board via a Sean Nealis goal in the 28th minute but were unable to solve Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy during the rest of the match.

The Galaxy were already the franchise with the most MLS championships but this victory extends the lead further. The Red Bulls were vying for the first championship in franchise history.

The Galaxy's run comes after the team went 19-7-8 and finished second in the Western Conference. Los Angeles knocked out the Colorado Rapids in the opening round, Minnesota United FC in the semifinals and the Seattle Sounders in the Conference Final.

After scoring 20 goals in 19 matches, Inter Miami star Lionel Messi was named the 2024 MLS MVP on Friday.

The greatest ever has done it again. 👑

Lionel Messi is the 2024 Landon Donovan MLS MVP. pic.twitter.com/Ej2s9rJcO9

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) December 6, 2024

The 37-year-old veteran was a dominant force in his second season with the club, and he played a huge role in Miami posting 22 wins, eight draws and only four losses during the regular season, giving the team an MLS single-season record of 74 points.

In addition to being tied for second in goals scored across the league in 2024, Messi was also tied for third in assists with 16.

What set Messi apart from the players who put up similar stats in 2024 is the fact that he played in far fewer matches than all of them.

While D.C. United's Christian Benteke led MLS with 23 goals, he did so in 30 games, compared to Messi's 19. Also, FC Cincinnati's Luciana Acosta and Portland Timbers' Evander had 20 and 19 assists in 32 and 28 matches, respectively.

Lionel Messi’s MVP highlight reel 🤤 pic.twitter.com/SZzkVq7R9L

— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 6, 2024

After starring for 17 seasons at Barcelona and then two at Paris Saint-Germain, Messi became the biggest signing in MLS history when he arrived stateside in 2023.

Messi has scored nearly 900 goals in his career across all competitions for club and country, putting him firmly in the conversation for greatest soccer player of all time along with Pelé, Cristiano Ronaldo and a select few others.

Winning MLS MVP is another accomplishment added to one of the most impressive résumés in the history of the sport.

Before joining Inter Miami, Messi was an eight-time winner of the Ballon d'Or as the best soccer player in the world. He also twice won the Golden Ball, which is given to the top player at the FIFA World Cup.

With Messi leading the way, Barca won 10 La Liga titles and four UEFA Champions League titles. He also won a pair of Ligue 1 titles at PSG.

The crowning achievement of Messi's career may have come in 2022 when he won the World Cup for the first time, leading Argentina to its first World Cup victory since 1986.

Now that Messi has an MLS MVP to his credit, winning the MLS championship is one of the last accolades he has yet to attain.

Inter Miami were favored to win it all last season, but they were shocked by Atlanta United FC in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

With star players such as Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba set to return to the club in 2025, Inter Miami will likely once again be favored to hoist the MLS Cup for the first time.