LIONEL MESSI , WHO ELSE !
Lionel Messi: first MLS player to score 40+ goals in a season
Lionel Messi, crowned with Inter Miami the MLS champion past night, became the first player since the league’s inception in 1996 to score 40+ goals in a calendar year across all club competitions.
The previous annual record was 38 goals, achieved by Carlos Vela in 2019 and Denis Bouanga in 2023 (both with Los Angeles FC). Messi beat the mark by 5 goals.
His tally in the current year is made of:
29 goals in regular MLS season (LR),
6 in the league’s playoff (LP),
6 in major international club competitions (MI), including 5 in CONCACAF Champions Cup and 1 in FIFA Club World Cup,
2 in other international club competitions (OI), that is in Leagues’ Cup.
He didn’t play in the national cup (US Open).
| MLS 1996- | MOST | GOALS | IN A | SEASON | ||||||
| Player | Nationality | Goals | Club | Season | LR | LP | NC | MI | OI | |
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 43 | Inter Miami | 2025 | 29 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2 | Carlos Vela | Mexico | 38 | Los Angeles | 2019 | 34 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 3 | Dénis Bouanga | Gabon | 38 | Los Angeles | 2023 | 20 | 5 | 7 | 6 | |
| 4 | Josef Martínez | Venezuela | 35 | Atlanta | 2018 | 31 | 4 | |||
| 5 | Josef Martínez | Venezuela | 33 | Atlanta | 2019 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |