Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, right, celebrates a goal by Matias Rojas in the second half during ... [+]
Lionel Messi has done a lot of things on the pitch that no one else ever has. And on Saturday night, that category expanded to include becoming the first MLS player ever to provide five assists in a single game, teeing up Luis Suarez for a hat trick and Matias Rojas for a brace in Inter Miami’s 6-2 demolition of the New York Red Bulls.
Messi also scored once himself to set another MLS record as the first player to make six goal contributions (goals plus assists) in a single match. That took his totals on the season to 10 goals and 12 assists in only eight matches (seven starts), with still two-thirds of the season to play.
What’s even more amazing is the entirety of this production game in the second half, after the Red Bulls entered halftime with a 1-0 lead. And in a league that is a rarity around the world in counting up to two assists per goal, all of Messi’s were of the traditional, primary variety.
The Argentine eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is on a pace that could take down quite a few MLS single-season records. But the math is more complicated than it first appears.
Messi could miss at least five regular season games due to his commitments for Argentina at the Copa America. And his injury track record recently suggest there will be at least a few more times this season he either doesn’t play or is used off the bench due to minor knocks or load management, or both.
Even so, his recent output of 10 goal contributions in his last two matches shows that no record is truly safe right now. Here are some of the biggest benchmarks he could target, and an analysis of how likely success may be.
Most Goals in a Season
Current holder: Carlos Vela, 34
Messi’s 10 goals in eight games are above the pace at Vela scored his 34 goals in 31 appearances. But the ceiling on Messi’s potential MLS appearances in the neighborhood of 24, and 21 or 22 may be more likely.
He’d have to increase his scoring production from his already blistering pace, and he’d have to do it presumably while Luis Suarez is also on the field making himself an open target for an easier finish when defenses are understandably drawn to Messi.
The equation might change if Suarez — who deals with chronic ankle issues — suddenly becomes unavailable and Messi has to shoulder more of the finishing duties. But as it currently stands, this one feels like a fringe too far, even for the game’s greatest living player.
Prognosis: Unlikely.
Most Assists in a Season
Current holder: Carlos Valderrama, 26
For all the fuss we give over the top goal scorers in MLS history, Valderrama's record might be one of the most impressive in the entire MLS Fact and Record Book. It has certainly stood the test of time.
El Pibe was an MLS original, and yet it took him five seasons before he found the right partner — Senegalese striker Mamadou Diallo — to unlock the kind of chemistry that led to the posting of a number in 2000 that has never been seriously challenged.
There is also a lurking variable here, which is that the criteria for secondary assists became more stringent in the years that followed Valderrama’s historic 2020 campaign.
But even before Messi’s explosion on Saturday night, he was on pace to at least approach this number if he missed only 10 or so games for the Herons.
With all the variables at play, it’s probably not fair to expect Messi to reach this number. But it’s certainly far more in play than the goal-scoring record. And it would probably be surprising if he doesn’t surpass 20 assists to climb to second on the list in front of Sacha Kljestan and Maxi Moralez.
Prognosis: Possible.
Most Consecutive Games with Goals
Current Holder: Josef Martinez, 15
Martinez shattered the previous MLS record when he scored in 15 consecutive MLS appearances during the 2019 season. And yet Messi has already gone more than halfway toward equaling the total by scoring in eight consecutive games.
This has been one of Messi’s sneakier accomplishments so far, since he was absent for a stretch of a few weeks dealing with a calf issue. But it certainly feels like something that is in the realm of possibility, given that this is already his second such stretch of scoring in at least seven consecutive appearances in a single competition: The first came during the 2023 Leagues Cup, when he scored in all seven matches while Miami stormed to the championship.
Much like the singe-season assists record, this feels like a category where it will be surprising if he doesn’t at least reach 11 consecutive games with a goal to pull equal with Vela in second place on the list.
Prognosis: Possible
Most Goals Per Game
Current Holder: Carlos Vela, 1.10
Messi is currently ahead of Vela’s 2019 pace, with 1.25 goals scored per appearance. And there doesn’t seem to be any reason not to expect that to continue.
If anything, it could potentially accelerate because of Messi’s role as Miami’s primary penalty taker. While the Herons captain has handed off those duties at times to teammates, he’s still likely to receive more opportunities from the spot than the one he’s taken so far in eight matches.
The only thing that could work against Messi is if he gets into an injury situation where he becomes less than 90 minutes fit and has to be used in shorter shifts. Because this record is kept by a per-appearance count, rather than a per-90-minutes ratio that is often cited on sites like FBref.com and others.
Prognosis: Likely
Most Assists Per Game
Current Holder: Carlos Valderrama, 0.95
Amazingly, Valderrama set this mark in 1997 by contributing 19 assists in 20 appearances, three years prior to posting his incredible 26-assist season.
The difference between those campaigns is that in 1997, Valderrama was still suiting up regularly for the Colombian national team, which often took him away from MLS commitments. By 2000 he had retired from international play and was free to focus fully on the Tampa Bay Mutiny, though he had also slowed slightly in overall rate of production.
Messi was already on pace to fractionally surpass this record prior to Saturday night’s five-assist masterclass, and now he’s currently averaging 1.50 assists per MLS appearance.
The only reason to be cautious about his chances to surpass Valderrama is that this record is reliant on his teammates. And the bulk of his assists have been in service of Suarez, who is also in his mid-30s and could potentially need to load manage as the season progresses. Even so, this feels like an area where Messi’s production could continue to trend upward over the long haul as relationships with younger teammates become stronger over time.
Prognosis: Likely
