Lionel Messi opens the Messi Cup presented by GEICO and receives the Landon Donovan MLS MVP 2025 on a historic day in Miami

The main figure of the day was once again Lionel Messi, the driving force behind the tournament and a central contributor to Inter Miami CF’s youth development pathway. Just like during his official unveiling on July 16, 2023, the ceremony took place under the rain.

Lionel Messi’s remarks on the opening of the Messi Cup presented by GEICO to the participating teams

“I’m very excited and very happy to be able to hold this event. We’re truly pleased to have you all here. Hopefully this becomes a date that remains forever, and that this tournament can keep growing, returning every year with more teams and more age groups. I wish you all the very best. Above all, enjoy the experience, and take home beautiful memories — not only in football but also on a human level. I hope you take lifelong memories with you, get involved, and make new friends with people from other parts of the world. But above all, enjoy it. We’ll be here following along, watching the matches and, beyond competing — which is why you’re here — enjoy the experience and enjoy Miami.”

Messi, MVP for the second consecutive year: a historic achievement in MLS

In an emotional ceremony prior to the opening of the Messi Cup presented by GEICO, Lionel Messi received the Landon Donovan MLS MVP 2025, becoming the first player in MLS history to win the award in back-to-back seasons. The Inter Miami and Argentina captain earned a commanding 70.43% of the vote among players, clubs, and media, capping off an individual season as brilliant as it was decisive in Inter Miami’s title-winning campaign. Messi’s 2025 regular season was nothing short of spectacular: 48 goal contributions in 28 matches (29 goals and 19 assists), leading Inter Miami through a historic year. But the numbers only tell part of the story. The World Cup champion also shattered multiple scoring records on his way to winning the MLS Golden Boot 2025 presented by Audi. Messi continued to push the boundaries of individual performance: he became the first player in MLS history to record 10 multi-goal matches in a single season. Additionally, between May 28 and July 12, the Argentine delivered one of the most impressive scoring streaks ever seen in the league: he scored in five consecutive matches, becoming the only player in league history to register multi-goal performances in more than four straight games — a stretch in which he totaled 10 goals. The MVP trophy was presented by MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Nash Dearmin, captain of Inter Miami’s U-16 team, symbolizing the generational bridge Messi continues to build with his legacy on and off the pitch.

Lionel Messi’s remarks on winning the 2025 MVP

“Thank you very much for this award. It was a very special year for us because of everything we experienced — a long year, with many matches and many trips, but also a historic year for the club. It was the first time Inter Miami won the MLS title, and for a club so new, with so few years of history, achieving what we achieved was very special. I think the fans enjoyed it a lot too. I’m grateful to win this award once again and to share it, of course, with all my teammates, because it was a successful year for the entire group.”