Messi aims to break his own MLS ceiling

In the midst of his long-awaited return to the Argentina national team for the CONMEBOL qualifiers on the road to the 2026 World Cup in North America – and Inter Miami’s break ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup – it’s a good moment to reflect on a standout aspect of Lionel Messi’s current Major League Soccer campaign.

The Herons recently endured a rough patch in the league, but fortunately for their cause, Messi took charge of their resurgence under Javier Mascherano’s leadership. He played a pivotal role in securing a point away at Philadelphia Union – scoring a stunning free-kick – before turning in two star performances at Chase Stadium: a brace and an assist against CF Montréal, followed by another two goals and two assists versus Columbus Crew. The Argentine icon helped steady the pink-clad franchise in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Now, even though things looked shaky just a couple of weeks ago, Inter Miami (29 points) find themselves just one point behind teams like FC Cincinnati, Minnesota United, and San Diego FC (all on 30), and within reach of the overall MLS leaders: Vancouver Whitecaps (32 points) and Philadelphia (34). With Messi on fire, the Herons are making noise again – though the upcoming Club World Cup break will be a crucial test.

Messi in MLS 2025

To understand Messi’s role in Inter Miami’s attacking system, just look at the numbers. In the 2025 MLS season, the captain has contributed to 16 goals – with 10 scored and 6 assisted. That puts the legendary No. 10 at the top of the league’s goal contribution rankings, ahead of players like Tai Baribo (13 goals, 1 assist), Anders Dreyer (8 goals, 6 assists), and Sam Surridge (11 goals, 3 assists) – all on 14.

With these figures, Messi is now just 10 goals and 10 assists away from surpassing his stats from last season, which earned him MLS Most Valuable Player honors. A strong showing at the Club World Cup will be key to keeping momentum before returning to MLS in pursuit of even greater numbers.

Messi: from Argentina duty to the Club World Cup

At the moment, Messi is in Buenos Aires as Argentina prepares for its upcoming qualifiers. First, they’ll face Chile away on Thursday, June 5, followed by a home match against Colombia on Tuesday, June 10.

From there, the Albiceleste captain will head back to South Florida to prepare for Inter Miami’s Club World Cup debut, where they’ll face Al-Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday, June 14.

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