Lionel Messi has been named a finalist for the 2026 Major League Soccer MVP award, as the Inter Miami captain seeks to become the first player to win the prize on three consecutive occasions.
Messi won the MVP award in 2024 and 2025, becoming the second player to ever win the trophy twice, alongside Preki (Predrag Radosavljević), who won the title in 1997 and 2003.
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Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi already clinched a record second straight Golden Boot award after scoring 26 goals in the 2026 regular season.
Messi joins finalists Evander (FC Cincinnati), Guilherme (Houston Dynamo FC) Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC), and Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union) for the award, which is named after former U.S. men's national team great Landon Donovan.
At 17 years old, Sullivan stands as the youngest player in MLS history to be named a finalist for the MVP award. He is also a finalist for the MLS Young Player of the Year award.
Last month, Sullivan became the youngest goalscorer in USMNT history when he found the net against Mexico.
MVP candidate Guilherme was named a finalist for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, alongside Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City SC). Guilherme recorded 16 goals and 10 assists, while Griezmann managed 14 goals and eight assists.
Griezmann earns the recognition after joining Orlando City in July after finishing the 2025-26 season with Atlético Madrid in Spain.
Finalists for each end-of-the-year award received the highest average in votes from MLS club technical staff, MLS first-team players and select media members. Each group accounted for 33.3% of the overall results, according to MLS.
Winners will be announced during the 2026 playoffs, which begin on Nov. 19.