Lionel Messi is back in the 2025 MLS Best XI! | OneFootball

The Argentine legend continues to shine again.

Lionel Messi - getty images

As the Major League Soccer (MLS) season approaches its thrilling conclusion, the league has unveiled its much-anticipated 2025 Best XI, a team celebrating the most outstanding performers of the campaign.

Headlining the list, as many predicted, is the legendary Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi. Despite being 38 years old, Messi's brilliance remains undimmed, having found the net an impressive 29 times in the first half of the season alone. His inclusion is a testament to his enduring class and immediate impact since arriving in 2023. To date, his American journey has seen him take to the pitch 84 times, amassing a staggering 74 goals and 37 assists for Inter Miami.

The full Best XI showcases a blend of defensive solidity, midfield mastery, and attacking firepower. Between the posts, Dane St. Clair of Minnesota United earns the goalkeeper's spot.

The defensive line is marshaled by a quartet of consistent performers: Tristan Blackmon of Vancouver Whitecaps, Orlando City's Alex Freeman, and the formidable Philadelphia Union duo of Jakob Glesnes and Kai Wagner.

Commanding the midfield are Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Cincinnati's Evander, and Cristian Roldan of the Seattle Sounders.

Joining Messi in a fearsome front three are Denis Bouanga from Los Angeles and San Diego's Anders Dreyer, completing a team that represents the very best of MLS for the 2025 season.