Inter Miami CF Forward Lionel Messi Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 2
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Inter Miami CF Forward Lionel Messi Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 2

Published on March 2, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA for Matchday 2 of the 2026 MLS season.

Messi scored two goals in Inter Miami's 4-2 road victory over rivals Orlando City SC on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire (Watch Highlights From His Performance Here). It marked the 17th multi-goal regular-season game of his career, including the fourth in his last six regular-season appearances dating back to last season. With his brace against Orlando, Messi now has 89 career regular-season goal contributions (52 goals and 37 assists) in 55 games. The win over the Lions marked Miami's first victory on the road against Orlando City SC. Sunday night marked the first time Inter Miami won a regular season match after trailing by two goals since a 6-2 win over the New England Revolution on Decision Day 2024.

After falling behind 2-0, Miami pulled a goal back through Matteo Silvetti in the 49th minute before tying the score in the 57th minute as Messi received the ball from Telasco Segovia outside the 18-yard box and fired a shot past multiple defenders into the corner of the net. Messi then played a role in Segovia's game-winning goal in the 85th minute as the Venezuelan international curled in his strike for the 3-2 lead. Just before stoppage time, Messi punctuated the victory with a free kick from 30.3 yards out that he slid around the wall and just past the Orlando City goalkeeper to complete the 4-2 win.

This marks the 13th time in his career that Messi has been named MLS Player of the Matchday, which is the third-most in league history, behind only Landon Donovan (19) and Jeff Cunningham (14). Since the start of 2024, approximately one in every six Player of the Matchday awards has been won by Messi.

Miami will go on the road again looking for consecutive victories when they take on D.C. United at M&T Bank Stadium on Saturday, March 7 (4:30 p.m. ET, MLS on Apple TV).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.

2026 MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob ULTRA Winners

Matchday Player Club

Matchday 1 Julian Hall Red Bull New York

Matchday 2 Lionel Messi Inter Miami CF

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