Messi Aims to Break MLS Records in 2026 Season

Lionel Messi is poised to break several Major League Soccer (MLS) records in the upcoming 2026 season. As the captain of Inter Miami, Messi has already secured back-to-back league MVP awards and the golden boot last season.

He is on track to surpass Diego Valeri's record of 93 goals in 288 appearances for the highest score by an Argentine in MLS history. Messi enters the season with 57 league goals, needing 36 more to overtake Valeri's tally, a target considered realistic given his scoring rate since arriving in Florida.

He has produced 50 goals and 28 assists in MLS play, contributing to a total of 78 goal involvements, making him the first player in the club's history to reach 100 goal contributions in league competition. Messi's individual honors include winning the league MVP award for the last two seasons, making him the first player to claim this consecutively.

He also aims to retain the golden boot, a feat no player has achieved consecutively in MLS history.