The start of the MLS playoffs couldn’t have gone better for Lionel Messi and Inter Miami. Miami defeated Nashville SC 3-1, including a brace from the Argentinian star. Messi’s first goal was

Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber presented Lionel Messi with the 2025 Golden Boot award Friday before the first game of the Round 1 series between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, declaring the forward had reset the trajectory for MLS.

Fresh off winning the MLS Golden Boot and being named a finalist for MLS MVP, Messi opened the scoring for the Herons in the 19th minute with a diving header off a cross from longtime teammate Luis Suárez, showcasing the 38-year-old’s off-ball smarts with deceiving runs into the box.

Messi was named a finalist for the MVP award Thursday along with Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga, San Diego’s Anders Dreyer (San Diego FC), Cincinnati’s Evander and Nashville’s Sam Surridge. The award is expected to be handed out before the MLS Cup final on Dec. 6.

Messi led the league for shots, through balls and big chances created, outperforming his expected goals by more than six. He’s 13 goals over ‘average’ since joining Miami, keeping up the kind of finishing overperformance that has been a through line across his career.

A rather promising player, this Messi.On the night from Friday to Saturday, Inter Miami faced Nashville in the first round of the MLS playoffs.The Herons could, of course, count on Lionel Messi, who

After Lionel Messi's contract extension with Inter Miami, many were quite surprised by the contract duration. The Argentine will continue until the end of 2028. In line with Messi's decision, we've