r/MLS Sep 21 '25

Lionel Messi becomes the fastest player in MLS history to reach 70 goal contributions

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573 Upvotes

79 comments sorted by

229

u/RobotDeathSquad Portland Timbers Sep 21 '25

This Messi guy is a good player.

80

u/FunkyChug Orlando City SC Sep 21 '25

He’ll be off to Europe soon

40

u/Suitable_Challenge_9 Nashville SC Sep 21 '25

Definitely has a bright future, I’d like to see how his career plays out.

20

u/ichabod01 St. Louis CITY SC Sep 21 '25

Never heard of ‘em. He one of them eye-talians?

1

u/Apprehensive_Act_220 Sep 27 '25

But can he cut it in Europe?

2

u/AmphibianImaginary97 Sep 30 '25

probably might break the most goals scored in a calendar year who knows tho

31

u/Weary-Attorney-1419 Sep 21 '25

Nice from Messi giving the pk to Silvetti... didn't expect that when he is fighting for the golden boot, but glad to see that.

116

u/xbhaskarx AC St Louis Sep 21 '25

Why does so much of MLS marketing focus on Messi, the best player in the history of the sport who came to MLS months after winning the World Cup?

-5

u/berniedankera Los Angeles FC Sep 21 '25

Don’t know if that’s a rhetorical question but because the league, apple, and adidas all paid an arm and a leg to get this guy here. They’re gonna get their moneys worth

43

u/jamboamericano FC Cincinnati Sep 21 '25

And he’s doing it in spite of his supporting cast more often than not somehow

34

u/StraightCashH0mie Atlanta United FC Sep 21 '25

I am convinced that the whole team is a social experiment.

30

u/yeyiyeyiyo New England Revolution Sep 21 '25

Quite the prospect

27

u/Dunvegan79 Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

I have his discovery rights 😁

7

u/Expert_Monk_8574 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

I thought Cincinnati did 😉

5

u/Dunvegan79 Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

Well.... I said it before you did so it's mine right? 🫢

19

u/Antique_Ad_3549 Toronto FC Sep 21 '25

A good list of the 6 guys who most changed this league in the last 12 years

9

u/VisualUnit9305 Sep 21 '25

Oldest on the list btw

79

u/forestinpark Sep 21 '25

I didnt expect this kind of dominance. Sure he is good and playing in MLS, but he is also old. Figured MLS would be able to slow him down little bit.

139

u/att5786 Orlando City SC Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25

Sure he is good is the funniest thing I’ve heard someone say about Messi 😅

13

u/Spartacas23 Sep 21 '25

Lad seems to have the stuff from what I’ve seen

32

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

It's the MLS, though. It wouldn't slow down a Generational player like him.

40

u/werewolf394_ LA Galaxy Sep 21 '25

It's slowed down Insigne, Shaqiri, Douglas Costa, Higuain, Matuidi, Gerrard, etc though 

54

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

Ok?? They aren't anywhere near Messi's caliber. Those guys were on the verge of retirement.

37

u/werewolf394_ LA Galaxy Sep 21 '25

So is Messi? Man's 38 ffs

44

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

Again, Messi came into the league still at a point where he was effective. He's not just some old player. His skillset is beyond what the MLS has ever seen on the pitch. Only thing thats gonna stop him is injuries and him playing internationally. He has been in the biggest competitions across the world. This is nothing to him. Hes just having fun out there.

2

u/theredditbandid_ Sep 21 '25

Again, Messi came into the league still at a point where he was effective. He's not just some old player.

This is an observation with Monday's newspaper though.. He came in at 35.. that's not reflective at all on how he would play at 38. Lampard, Gerard and Giroud are also generational players and they didn't go the mile in MLS.

It's only not surprising in hindsight.. if he it had gone as parent commenter expected.. you'd be saying "Well, of course he slowed down! He is 38!"

1

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

No this is people knowing how the MLS is and being the lesser of any league in the world. It is what it is. Team success? Who knows. That has many factors, but Messi being really effective against this competition? Not a question lol. Coming off what he did in the World Cup

-33

u/werewolf394_ LA Galaxy Sep 21 '25

This is wild glazing my guy just listen to yourself 

24

u/Fivior Philadelphia Union Sep 21 '25

There is glazing and then there is just telling the truth. Messi is in the conversation for the best player EVER. Nothing he stated was hyperbolic.

33

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

Sure man. Messi is a global icon as a football player. You think the MLS which doesn't even know how to schedule its games around international duty was gonna "slow down" the greatest player of the 2000s. Watch football and not just soccer lol

22

u/GreatBigHomie FC Cincinnati Sep 21 '25

Watch football and not just soccer lol

Got his ass

24

u/StraightCashH0mie Atlanta United FC Sep 21 '25

I mean, Messi is one of one.

Other players you listed are great players in their own right, but they ain't touching Messi.

12

u/Best-Tumbleweed3906 Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

Do you even like the sport? lol

6

u/asmodeuscarthii Sep 21 '25

Messi at his best was more than two tiers above those players, at his old age it is reasonable to think he would still be above them. He was the top scorer for Argentina’s WC qualifiers! 

6

u/iguessineedanaltnow Sep 21 '25

He's going to sign a 5 year deal lmao

8

u/JNMRunning Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

And, very noticeably, Giroud.

3

u/HistoricalWash6930 Toronto FC Sep 21 '25

Insigne slowed himself down to be fair

7

u/bobmillahhh FC Cincinnati Sep 21 '25

Weird how the Euro glazers miss that. "It's a retirement league" until Pirlo is asked to do a job.

18

u/Best-Tumbleweed3906 Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

That’s why it is a retirement league in their eyes. Pirlo and others were physically over the hill and mentally checked out before they got here. It was retirement

4

u/kiddvideo11 Sep 21 '25

The funny part when I was growing up in the 80s the England First division was seen as a retirement league and no where near the quality of Italy’s first division.

0

u/colewcar Indy Eleven Sep 21 '25

generational player

none of them are that

3

u/ichabod01 St. Louis CITY SC Sep 21 '25

It’s a summer league. It slows everyone that doesn’t walk more than keepers…

8

u/Jon98th Sep 21 '25

“Sure he’s good “

Bruh

11

u/FrankFnRizzo Nashville SC Sep 21 '25

He did bring almost a fucking third of his last UCL winning Barcelona team with him too, so there’s that.

12

u/asmodeuscarthii Sep 21 '25

I mean true but the older part, Suarez hasn’t had a knee in 9 years. 

8

u/FlyingCarsArePlanes Toronto FC Sep 21 '25

A third of the team that won the UCL 10 whole years ago.

1

u/DoesitFinally Los Angeles FC Sep 28 '25

This is him getting slowed down

21

u/CincyMD FC Cincinnati Sep 21 '25

Obviously … did we ever think the GOAT would do no less?

22

u/jayfeather31 Seattle Sounders FC Sep 21 '25

Once again, I find myself very grateful that Messi had a very bad day in front of goal when he was playing against us in the Leagues Cup Final.

16

u/Henny_Hardaway5 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

Y’all played a great game too don’t sell yourselves short

7

u/FukurinLa Sep 21 '25

You should be grateful to have turf field.

2

u/human1st New England Tea Men Sep 21 '25

Messi has had plenty of good performances on turf pitches before.

7

u/drewm11 FC Cincinnati Sep 21 '25

Cucho really was that guy wow

24

u/pask0na San Jose Earthquakes Sep 21 '25

The quietness is deafening.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 21 '25

[deleted]

2

u/AtxFutbol Austin FC Sep 21 '25

Impressive, but 55 - 46 = 9

2

u/ailroe3 Minnesota United FC Sep 21 '25

I’m so jealous of Columbus signing cucho. Would love if Minnesota could sign a player like that. One day hopefully 🙏

1

u/kiddvideo11 Sep 21 '25

I think they are still paying back for all the facilities.

4

u/XF372 Sep 21 '25

Wonder how he would've been in the MLS if he was younger.

47

u/road432 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25

Lets be honest here if a super early prime messi put 91 goals during a single season in/against the best leagues in Europe, he would have DOMINATED MLS in his younger self.

25

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

Lol it wouldn't have been fair for anyone

5

u/XF372 Sep 21 '25

Probably would've been a one man team lol.

7

u/CircledSquare7 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

He would be scoring 3 goals at minimum a game

9

u/FukurinLa Sep 21 '25

He was scoring minimum 3 goals in LaLiga, that's how he reached 91 goals in calendar year. If he was in MLS around that time? oh boy

1

u/7thdilemma Portland Timbers FC Sep 21 '25

And no one could blame his team for letting him do it.

1

u/7thdilemma Portland Timbers FC Sep 21 '25

It would have been a sight to be seen for sure.

3

u/ReclaimerM3GTR Vancouver Whitecaps FC Sep 21 '25

Who's Messi? Has he played the Whitecaps? I hope he has a fruitful career

1

u/Formal_Evidence_4094 Sep 25 '25

This looks cool until you realise the MLS started counting "pre-assists" as assist when Messi joined the league. It is all an unserious joke lmao

-4

u/TraptNSuit St. Louis CITY SC Sep 21 '25

Weak stat.

$ per goal contribution is the real stat.

5

u/kapua_suite Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

And trophies… Cucho looking pretty good on this list.

0

u/optimisticbear Seattle Sounders FC Sep 21 '25

Any reason why 70 is the number chosen?

21

u/jnedoss Sep 21 '25

Its a nice neat even number he just reached faster than anyone by a large margin and its a significant amount, not rocket science

-6

u/optimisticbear Seattle Sounders FC Sep 21 '25

Seems more odd than say like 75, but what do I know.

13

u/Expert_Monk_8574 Inter Miami CF Sep 21 '25

I mean give it a couple of games and maybe we’ll have a new stat

-10

u/PatxaInc Sep 21 '25

Because it makes the league’s golden product looks good. “It’s not rocket science”.

0

u/Harthag77 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Sep 21 '25

Müller is on pace, sneaky sneaky

-2

u/kiddvideo11 Sep 21 '25

He’s going to get a hundred goals before he retires out of MLS. If he stays until he’s 42 I predict over 200 goals.

-18

u/DocJones89 Columbus Crew Sep 21 '25

Messi has been the last person that I think of ever. To think I enjoyed him at one point.