History is calling again. Lionel Messi has been named one of five finalists for the 2026 Landon Donovan MLS MVP award, and if he wins, he becomes the first player ever to take the league’s top individual prize three seasons in a row.
What happened
Major League Soccer revealed its 2026 Year-End Awards finalists on Thursday, November 12. Messi shares the MVP shortlist with FC Cincinnati’s Evander, Houston Dynamo FC’s Guilherme, Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar and Philadelphia Union teenager Cavan Sullivan, who at 17 is the youngest MVP finalist in league history.
Messi’s case is hard to argue with. The Inter Miami captain scored 26 goals in 31 regular-season appearances, good for a second straight Golden Boot (another MLS first), and added a team-high 17 assists. He also won Goal of the Matchday seven times and landed in the Team of the Matchday on 13 occasions.
He was not the only Herons name on the list. Midfielder Telasco Segovia is one of five finalists for MLS Humanitarian of the Year, a nice recognition of his work off the field.
Why it matters for Inter Miami
Messi already won MVP in 2024 and 2025, joining Preki as the only two-time winners in league history. A third would put him alone at the top and cap another season where he carried Miami’s attack almost single-handedly. More than a trophy for the cabinet, it is a reminder of just how much the club’s ceiling depends on number 10, which is exactly why workload management will be such a hot topic heading into 2027.
Finalists were chosen by a three-way vote split evenly between MLS club technical staff, first-team players and select media members, so this is recognition from the people who face him every week, not just a popularity contest.
What comes next
MLS will announce the award winners throughout the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs, which kick off on November 19. That timing is perfect for Miami fans: the Herons open Round One against the Columbus Crew, so Messi could be collecting hardware right in the middle of a playoff push. The MLS Best XI will be revealed later, and fan voting for Goal of the Year stays open through November 17.
Three straight MVPs? Nobody has done it. If anyone is going to, it is Messi.
Sources: Inter Miami CF, ESPN, MLSsoccer.com.