When Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, he changed the trajectory of the club and Major League Soccer forever, unlike any other player, aside from his club’s co-owner, David Beckham, in 2007.
Since then, Messi has made plenty of history. In his first 100 matches across all competitions, he notched 86 goals and 56 assists (including 10 secondary assists, as recognized in MLS), became the first player to win back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP Awards and won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot. He also became the first active player in MLS to win the Ballon d’Or, winning his eighth in 2023, largely for his performance at the 2022 World Cup with Argentina.
