Lionel Messi is Dominating MLS This Season

Lionel Messi has dominated MLS since he joined the league in 2023, and despite turning 38 just last month, the Inter Miami CF superstar is not slowing down anytime soon.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has led the Herons to the 2023 Leagues Cup and 2024 Supporters’ Shield titles, and earned the 2024 MLS MVP award after putting up 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 league appearances.

After flaming out in the Round of 16 of the FIFA Club World Cup at the hands of UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, Messi and Miami returned to Major League Soccer with a vengeance, steamrolling CF Montreal 4-1 at Stade Saputo on Saturday night.

The Argentine icon was back to his very best in Montreal, scoring two incredible solo goals and registering an assist in arguably his best performance of the 2025 season so far.

After a slow start to the 2025 campaign, Messi is once again tapping into his otherworldly talent and willpower as he hopes to lead Miami towards a first MLS Cup.

While he may still not be the favorite to win second consecutive MVP award, an important stat shows that the FC Barcelona legend has been the best player in MLS this season.

Messi’s MLS Dominance By the Numbers

Inter Miami captain has the highest average match rating in MLS

Messi may not be the league’s goals + assists leader this season — his 19 goal contributions are four behind Anders Dreyer’s 23 — but there is a stat that lifts him above the rest when it comes to his impact on a weekly basis.

The 2022 World Cup winner leads all MLS players in Average Match Rating in 2025, with 8.32 out of 10 (via Sofascore).

Messi is only one of three players to have an Average Match Rating over 8.00, along with New England Revolution‘s Carles Gil (8.02) and FC Cincinnati‘s Evander (8.01).

Messi’s last three MLS outings have earned match ratings over 9.6, even putting up a 10/10 performance in a 5-1 win over Columbus Crew SC on May 31, in which he tallied two goals and two assists.

To put these numbers in context, Messi’s Average Match Rating in 2024 — when he was voted the league’s MVP — was 8.23, so he could very well repeat as MVP if he sustains this form in the second half of the season.

Since Sofascore began keeping the stat in 2015, Messi’s highest Average Match Rating came in 2018-19, when he put up 8.52 with Barcelona, and went on to win the Ballon d’Or.

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