Lionel Messi has made MLS history. According to Pulse Nigeria, the Inter Miami captain is the first player to reach 35 goal contributions in back-to-back seasons in Major League Soccer.
The milestone came in a 4-0 win over New York City FC, in which the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner scored two goals and provided one assist, according to the report.
Messi lets Suarez take a penalty
The report says the 38-year-old showed selflessness in the match by allowing teammate Luis Suarez to take a penalty, even though he had a chance to add to his own numbers. He still finished with two goals and an assist, taking his goal contributions to 37 for the season.
Level with Ibrahimovic, Vela next
With that tally, Messi moves into third place on the all-time MLS list for goal contributions, level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Five regular-season games remain, so the report says it is only a matter of time before he passes the Swede.
After that, the target is Carlos Vela's record of 49 contributions. The report adds that Messi is looking to stay sharp ahead of the 2026 World Cup with Argentina. Messi's recent form has also been a major reason Inter Miami secured a playoff spot, according to the report.
A separate Pulse Nigeria headline says Messi also made history with a back-to-back MLS Golden Boot, but the text of that item was not available, so that claim is not detailed here.
- Based on reporting byPulse Nigeria: Lionel Messi makes history with back-to-back MLS Golden Boot
- Based on reporting byPulse Nigeria: Lionel Messi makes history with Inter Miami
