Antoine Griezmann delivered an excellent performance for Orlando City SC, leading the Lions’ comeback win to earn MLS Player of the Matchday honors for Matchday 22. His victory raises the question of how many times Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has claimed the award.
Messi has been named MLS Player of the Matchday 14 times in his career, last winning the honor on Matchday 8 on April 20, 2026. Messi netted a brace, including the game-winning goal in the 79th minute, to propel Miami to a 3-2 victory over Colorado Rapids.
Messi is now tied with Jeff Cunningham (14) for the second-most Player of the Matchday awards in MLS history, trailing only Landon Donovan (19). With many matches still ahead, the forward remains positioned to surpass that mark.
Griezmann’s standout performance
Griezmann recorded his first career MLS brace, scoring both goals for Orlando in a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake. The legendary French attacker has played in six regular-season matches since joining Orlando from Spanish powerhouse Atletico Madrid, playing all 540 minutes while contributing three goals and two assists.
Orlando City SC forward Antoine Griezmann smiles after a friendly.
Across his six starts, Orlando has produced a 3-2-1 record with all six games coming against current MLS Cup Playoffs teams. Before Griezmann’s arrival, Orlando earned 14 points and sat outside the playoff spots in 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Following Saturday’s victory, the Lions moved into the playoff picture for the first time this season, jumping to ninth place in the East with 24 points.
Griezmann joins exclusive company
Griezmann is the second Orlando player to be named Player of the Matchday this season, joining Martin Ojeda (Matchday 11). The forward is already demonstrating what he is capable of delivering as a player who was once among the best in the world.
He is also the eighth different former World Cup winner to be named Player of the Matchday, joining Lionel Messi (14), Thierry Henry (six), David Villa (four), Thiago Almada (three), Youri Djorkaeff (two), Kaka (one), and Thomas Muller (one).
