Lionel Messi Named MLS Player of the Matchday
May 29, 2025 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Inter Miami CF News Release
Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi's brilliance against CF Montrêal has earned him Major League Soccer (MLS) Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra honors for Matchday 16.
The reigning Landon Donovan MVP scored a brace with two fantastic strikes and dished out an assist to lead Inter Miami to a 4-2 win at home over CF Montréal on Wednesday. The attacker delivered an all-around top performance, finishing the night with a notable three key passes and seven shots to his name, both game highs.
First, he opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a left-footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner that bounced off the post and into the back of the net.
The Argentine ace then played provider for Suárez in the play for Inter Miami's second goal of the evening for his third assist of the MLS campaign, followed by scoring the team's fourth in spectacular fashion in the 87th minute. A sublime passing sequence was capped off by a give and go between Messi and Suárez for our captain to break into the box and be left one on one against the keeper. He subsequently secured his brace with a tidy chip to place the ball in the back of the net and take his team-leading scoring record this regular season to eight.
Notably, with his two goals and assist on Wednesday, Messi became the first player in Club history to reach the 50 goal contribution mark in MLS regular season play, tallying 29 goals and 21 assists after just 37 games in South Florida. The Argentine legend is now up to eight goals and three assists in MLS play this season, scoring in back-to-back games for the fourth time across competitions this year.
The recognition is Messi's first Player of the Matchday award and the first for an Inter Miami player this 2025 regular season. Last year, Messi earned a record-tying six Player of the Matchday awards, becoming the third player in league history to do so during his first full season with Inter Miami. The talismanic attacker most recently won for Matchday 38 in 2024, scoring a hat trick off the bench in the team's 6-2 win against the New England Revolution to clinch the MLS single-season points record.
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.
Major League Soccer Stories from May 29, 2025
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