Lionel Messi named 2026 MLS Most Valuable Player finalist

Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF has been named a finalist for the 2026 Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player award. Major League Soccer announced the 2026 Year-End Awards finalists on November 12, 2026. Messi joins four other players in the race for the league's highest individual honor.

The MVP finalists

The five finalists for the Most Valuable Player award include Lionel Messi, Evander of FC Cincinnati, Guilherme of Houston Dynamo FC, Hany Mukhtar of Nashville SC, and Cavan Sullivan of Philadelphia Union. The selection process for the Most Valuable Player award utilized a voting split of 33.3% each among three specific groups. These groups consisted of MLS club technical staff, first-team players, and selected media members.

Cavan Sullivan, who is 17 years old, also appears as a finalist for the MLS Young Player of the Year award. He is competing alongside Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti of the New York Red Bulls. While the Most Valuable Player award is presented annually to the most valuable player in the league, the Young Player of the Year award recognizes emerging talent.

Messi performance statistics

Lionel Messi enters the finalist selection following a highly productive 2026 regular season. During the 31 matches played in the 2026 regular season, Messi scored 26 goals and provided 17 assists. This performance resulted in a total of 43 goal contributions for Inter Miami CF. His scoring average for the season was 0.84 goals per match.

In addition to his scoring output, Messi achieved several individual honors during the 2026 campaign. He won the 2026 MLS Golden Boot, making him the first player in the history of the league to win the award in consecutive seasons. His season also included seven Goal of the Matchday awards and 13 Team of the Matchday selections. This follows his previous achievements of winning the MLS Most Valuable Player award in both 2024 and 2025.

Since joining Inter Miami CF in 2023, Messi has played 124 official matches. During that period, he has recorded 107 goals and 60 assists for the club.

Award voting and schedules

The league also determined the winners for the MLS Humanitarian of the Year award using a different weighted system. The winners for that category were decided by four groups—technical staff, players, media, and community relations staff—with each group holding 25% of the voting weight.

The announcement of these finalists comes as the league prepares for the postseason. The MLS Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin the week of November 14, 2026. The league was created in 1996, and the MVP award remains one of its most prestigious annual honors.

Glossary

• Major League Soccer — Major League Soccer, or MLS, is the highest men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is an independent organization recognized by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF).
• Inter Miami CF — Inter Miami CF is a professional soccer club based in Miami, United States. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference.
• Philadelphia Union — The Philadelphia Union is an American professional soccer club based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference.