Red-hot Lionel Messi chasing another record with Inter Miami

After a rocky start to the season, Lionel Messi is now in unstoppable form. For the fourth game in a row, the Argentina captain scored twice—this time against the New England Revolution—putting him firmly in the race for the league’s MVP and within striking distance of one of MLS’s most iconic records.

It wasn’t long ago—May 19, 2025—that critics were piling on after Inter Miami was thrashed 3–0 by bitter rivals Orlando City at Chase Stadium. The mood was bleak. Doubts swirled around head coach Javier Mascherano, and the team looked adrift. But just over a month later, the tide has turned, and Messi is once again the most electrifying player in the league.

He’s been red-hot since his stunning free-kick goal against Porto at the FIFA Club World Cup. That was followed by a two-goal performance against CF Montréal, and now another brace against the struggling Revs. Even if New England sits near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, Messi’s dominance can’t be dismissed.

Four games, four braces for Messi

Messi has now scored two goals in each of his last four league games: against Columbus Crew, Montréal (twice), and New England. And while Inter Miami’s early-season slump raised questions—Messi had five goals and two assists in his first 10 league matches—his recent run has flipped the narrative completely.

Over his last five MLS outings, the Argentine legend has racked up nine goals and four assists, fueling Miami’s resurgence and putting the rest of the league on notice.

Inter Miami superstar back in the MVP conversation

Messi is currently second in the MLS Golden Boot race, trailing only Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge. But Inter Miami has played three fewer games than Nashville, and the two sides face off this weekend—a chance for Messi to close the gap.

He’s already tallied 14 goals and seven assists this season, leading Inter Miami in both categories. The next closest teammate, Tadeo Allende, has just seven goals, while Telasco Segovia and Luis Suárez have five each.

Messi chasing Vela’s record

With 16 regular-season games still to play, Messi is on pace to make a run at Carlos Vela’s single-season MLS goal record of 34, set in 2019. To match it, he’ll need to average just over 1.2 goals per game the rest of the way—a tall order for most, but not out of reach for Messi in this form.

Whether or not he breaks the record, one thing is clear: Messi has found his rhythm, and MLS is his stage.

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