Lionel Messi is the GOAT in the eyes of soccer fans around the world and he has lived up to that reputation in his short time in Major League Soccer. Messi has helped Inter Miami capture the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the newly-introduced Leagues Cup in 2023 but has yet to win the elusive MLS Cup.
The Argentine star has been the driving force in Inter Miami’s success this season with an incredible 32 goals and 16 assists in league play, and 40 goals and 18 assists in all competitions. Against Nashville SC in the first round of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs that dominance has continued.
In the 3 legs of the opening round, Messi recorded an absurd 5 goals and an assist as third ranked Miami romped to an 8-3 victory on aggregate to advance to the next round. Messi was at his usual best, winning man of the match with a two-goal performance in the opener, scoring a consolation goal in the second match to keep the tie tight, and blowing the tie open with two goals and an assist in the third. He is on an absolute tear in MLS play with 10 goals and 5 assists in his last six games alone.
Miami is not the current favorite in the MLS Cup Playoffs thanks to the Philadelphia Union’s dominant regular season but they are the team no one wants to face. The combination of Messi and Luis Suarez has been lethal this year and they simply know how to win in the big moments. They face FC Cincinnati in the next round who finished level with Miami on points but was ahead based on the total wins tiebreaker in MLS, with Cincinnati winning 20 matches to Miami’s 19.
The Conference Semifinals shift from a best of three format to a single-elimination match which is currently scheduled for November 22. Anything can happen in single elimination and this should be a brilliant match between two of the best teams in MLS.
Messi has already committed to another three seasons with Miami so this won’t be his last chance to win an MLS Cup but this is definitely his best. He isn’t getting any younger but even at 38 he still looks like he is at the peak of his powers.
