Messi shortlisted for third consecutive MLS MVP award

ملخص مفصل

Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has been named a finalist for the 2026 MLS Most Valuable Player award after winning the Golden Boot with 26 goals. Read More:…

Lionel Messi has been named among the finalists for the 2026 Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award, giving the Inter Miami captain an opportunity to make history by winning the honour for a third consecutive season.

MLS announced the finalists for its 2026 Year-End Awards on its website on Thursday.

Messi, who won the MVP in 2024 and 2025, was shortlisted for the 2026 edition alongside Evander of FC Cincinnati, Guilherme of Houston Dynamo, Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC and Cavan Sullivan of Philadelphia Union.

The Argentine forward earned the nomination after another impressive regular season, scoring 26 goals in 31 appearances to win the 2026 MLS Golden Boot.

He also became the first player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons, having finished the regular season with a team-leading 17 assists.

The league celebrated his achievement in a post on X on Tuesday, writing, “Another season, another Golden Boot pres. by Audi for Messi.”

Messi also earned the MLS Goal of the Matchday award seven times during the regular season.

The 2026 MLS Year-End Awards finalists represent 15 clubs, with winners scheduled to be announced throughout the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The finalists were selected based on votes from MLS club technical staff, first-team players and selected media members, with each group accounting for 33.3 per cent of the overall results.

مطلع المقال، مقتطف من Punch. لقراءة المقال كاملًا، افتحه على موقع الناشر.