Lionel Messi is about to mark two years with Inter Miami. He officially joined the team in the summer of 2023, and since then, he has amazed fans with his goals, assists, and dribbles. In his short time with the Herons, Leo has already become the club’s all-time top scorer, but there is still one milestone he has yet to surpass in Major League Soccer.
Despite his excellent performances and impact on the field, Messi is still far from reaching an impressive mark set by Carlos Valderrama: providing 26 assists in a single MLS season. The Colombian legend reached that remarkable total in 2000 while playing for Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Lionel holds the honor of being the player with the most assists in soccer history, with a total of 382 across his time at Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina National Team. In that ranking, the 37-year-old star surpasses other legendary players like Thomas Muller, Luis Suarez, and Kevin De Bruyne.
With the Herons, Messi has registered 20 assists in 46 matches. When you add his 39 goals, that brings his total goal contributions to 59 in 46 games, averaging well over one per game. This season, he has 5 goals and 2 assists in 7 matches.
Carlos Valderrama playing with Tampa Bay Mutiny against the Columbus Crew on October 2, 1996.
All-time assist leaders in MLS
While Carlos Valderrama holds the record for the most assists in a single season, he is not the all-time leader in this category. The former Colombian midfielder ranks fourth, with 117 assists. The top three are Brad Davis (131), Steve Ralston (142), and the number one spot belongs to Landon Donovan, with 151.
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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in race for all-time top scorer title, excluding penalties
Currently, Messi is far from breaking into that all-time ranking, and it seems unlikely he will have time to do so before his career ends. However, in his short time in the United States, he has already set a related record: He is the only player to register five assists in a single MLS game. This occurred during Inter Miami’s 6-2 win over the New York Red Bulls on May 4, 2024.
The next record Messi could break in MLS
With his goal against Philadelphia Union last week, Lionel Messi tied Gonzalo Higuain as the player with the most goal contributions in Inter Miami’s MLS regular-season history. The two Argentine icons now share the top spot in the ranking with 43 goals + assists.
What sets Messi apart is that he achieved this in less time: While Higuain needed 67 matches to reach that figure, Leo did it in just 28. This Sunday against Toronto FC at Chase Stadium, the superstar could claim the top spot outright.
