Lionel Messi's Historic MLS MVP Repeat Dominates the Narrative

Lionel Messi continues to dominate the storylines in Major League Soccer. Inter Miami’s captain has just been confirmed by MLS and widely reported by outlets like OurSports Central as the 2025 Landon Donovan MLS MVP, becoming the first player ever to win the award in back‑to‑back seasons, on the back of a 29‑goal, 19‑assist campaign and a title‑winning MLS Cup run. Inter Miami’s offseason now centers on replacing the retired Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets and potentially Luis Suárez, while also finalizing Rodrigo De Paul’s permanent move and filling an open Designated Player slot, according to MLSSoccer.com. Around the league, Nashville SC have re‑signed veteran goalkeeper Joe Willis for 2026, Real Salt Lake have parted ways with assistant coaches Jamison Olave and Joel DeLass, and San Diego FC have issued their first major round of roster decisions after a strong expansion season.

MLS front offices are now fully into winter business. The league has opened its End‑of‑Year Waivers process, with D.C. United holding the top claim and newly crowned champions Inter Miami picking last, and MLS has also published its free‑agency eligibility lists as the market opens for players 24 and older with at least four years of service.

For the U.S. national teams, U.S. Soccer has locked in the January schedule for the women. As reported by ESPN and confirmed by UC Santa Barbara, the USWNT will open the year with a camp in Carson, California, then face Paraguay at Dignity Health Sports Park on January 24 before traveling to Santa Barbara to play Chile at Harder Stadium on January 27, the program’s first official match in that city and a key early test in what coach Emma Hayes is calling an important year. The camp is expected to lean heavily on NWSL and domestic‑based players since it falls outside a FIFA window. On the men’s side, attention is on the winter window and early 2026 planning, with no new competitive fixtures announced overnight but ongoing monitoring of form for core players in Europe as league schedules intensify.

Internationally, Messi’s MLS exploits continue to reverberate globally as another reminder of his enduring impact, while big European clubs focus on positioning for the upcoming Champions League knockout stages and the winter transfer window, where speculation remains high around several star forwards and unsettled defenders, though no major blockbuster has been finalized in the last several hours.

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