Lionel Messi is the odds-on favourite to win his second MLS MVP award this season, after what many analysts call the best individual campaign in league history.
The Inter Miami star claimed both the Golden Boot and the assist title despite missing nearly a quarter of the season, setting new records for non-penalty goals and total goal contributions. Advanced analytics ranked his performance well above every other player in MLS, surpassing even Carlos Vela’s landmark 2019 season.
Yet, despite Messi’s dominance, his influence on the league’s broader popularity remains debatable. Attendance has dropped by 5.5% compared to last year, and MLS continues to trail behind European leagues in both visibility and fan engagement. Even Google searches for Messi in the United States lag behind those for Cristiano Ronaldo and basketball sensation Caitlin Clark.
League officials have promoted Messi as a global ambassador, but early hopes that his arrival would spark an MLS boom have yet to materialize. Apple TV’s Messi Meets America drew modest interest, while MLS announced that playoff games will be made free to stream, a move some interpret as a bid to boost underwhelming viewership numbers.
For now, Messi continues to dazzle on the pitch, but his time in Miami may be remembered less as a transformative era for MLS and more as a glittering encore to one of football’s greatest careers.
