Inter Miami CF captain Lionel Messi’s standout performance against Columbus Crew has earned him Major League Soccer (MLS) Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra honors for Matchday 17.
The reigning Landon Donovan MVP earns POTM honors for a second consecutive matchday following his brilliance on the pitch, notching two goals and three assists in a dominant 5-1 home win for Inter Miami over Columbus. Overall it was a well rounded performance from Messi as he led the Herons to victory, registering an 87 percent pass completion rate and two shots on target.
With his brace and three assists to down the Crew, the Argentine maestro became just the second player in MLS history to notch at least five goal contributions in a game multiple times in his career, joining Diego Rossi (two such games each). He is just the third player in league history to score twice and log three assists in a single match. Messi now leads the league with 16 goal contributions (10 goals, six assists) this season, including five goals and four assists during the Club’s current three-game unbeaten streak.Additionally, he reached 31 goals to surpass Gonzalo Higuaín (29) for the most MLS regular season goals in Club history.
Messi becomes the first player to win back-to-back Player of the Matchday awards this season and second to win twice in 2025, joining Philadelphia Union forward Tai Baribo. Last week, the Argentine put up two goals and an assist in a 4-2 win against CF Montréal. This week marks his eighth award overall after earning Player of the Matchday honors six times in 2024, becoming the third player in league history to do so during his first full season with Inter Miami.
The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Michelob Ultra is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an Instagram fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
