Lionel Messi won his second consecutive MLS MVP on Tuesday, capping a year in which he helped guide Inter Miami to its first MLS Cup title.

Messi received 70.43 percent of the total vote - which included the media, players and club technical staff - to finish ahead of finalists Anders Dreyer, Denis Bouanga, Evander and Sam Surridge.

Lionel Messi (2nd L) of Inter Miami CF breaks through during the 2025 Major League Soccer(MLS) regular season match between Toronto FC and Inter Miami CF at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, on Sept. 27, 2025. (Photo by Zou Zheng/Xinhua)

"It was a long year, with many matches and a lot of travel, but also a historic year for the club, as it was the first time we won the MLS Cup," the Argentine said upon receiving the award.

"It's a great club, still quite young, and being able to achieve what we did was wonderful, very special."

The 38-year-old forward scored 29 goals and provided 19 assists in 28 regular-season matches. He added another six goals and nine assists in six post-season outings.

His two assists in Saturday's final were instrumental as Inter Miami clinched the title with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and 2022 World Cup champion becomes the first player to win back-to-back MLS MVP awards.

He is the second two-time winner, joining former United States international midfielder Predrag Radosavljevic, who was awarded the accolade in 1997 and 2003.