Lionel Messi Among Finalists for 2025 MLS MVP, Full Award Nominees Announced
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi is one of five finalists for the MLS Most Valuable Player award.
Messi is up for the honor with LAFC's Denis Bouanga, San Diego FC's Anders Dreyer, FC Cincinnati's Evander and Nashville SC's Sam Surridge.
The league also announced the finalists for its other year-end awards:
Coach of the Year
- Bradley Carnell, Philadelphia Union
- Jesper Sørensen, Vancouver Whitecaps
- Mikey Varas, San Diego FC
Newcomer of the Year
- Anders Dreyer, San Diego FC
- Son Heung-Min, LAFC
- Philip Zinckernagel, Chicago Fire FC
Young Player of the Year
- Alex Freeman, Orlando City SC
- Diego Luna, Real Salt Lake
- Obed Vargas, Seattle Sounders FC
Defender of the Year
- Tristan Blackmon, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Jakob Glesnes, Philadelphia Union
- Kai Wagner, Philadelphia Union
Goalkeeper of the Year
- Matt Freese, New York City FC
- Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC
- Yohei Takaoka, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Comeback Player of the Year
- Lawrence Ennali, Houston Dynamo FC
- Nick Hagglund, FC Cincinnati
- Richie Laryea, Toronto FC
Messi was the MLS MVP in 2024 and he'll be tough to unseat. He scored a league-high 29 goals, five more than Bouanga and Surridge, and he tied for the lead in assists with 19. His 48 goal contributions were only one behind Carlos Vela for the single-season record.
The 38-year-old capped off the regular season by scoring a hat trick in a 5-2 win over Surridge and Nashville.
In addition to his individual production, Messi helped Inter Miami finish third in the Eastern Conference and only one point behind the top-seeded Philadelphia Union.
Dreyer is probably the biggest threat to unseat Messi.
The Danish midfielder was the joint leader in assists and tallied 19 goals. San Diego's 63 points were also a record for an MLS expansion franchise. The club claimed the top seed in the Western Conference, owning the tiebreaker over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
In a different season, Dreyer's resume might've been good enough to be crowned the MVP. But Messi is the heavy favorite to make it two wins in succession.
