Week 1 of the MLS season delivered standout performances, including two particularly impressive displays: Jayden Nelson was the standout player of the weekend, contributing three assists and a goal to propel Vancouver Whitecaps to a dominant victory. Anders Dreyer also made history, scoring twice to become San Diego FC’s first-ever goal scorer.

Messi is in his third season with the Herons and second entire MLS campaign. In 2024, he played just 19 games, scoring 20 goals and 16 assists, but injury and international duty kept him out for a significant amount of time. Still, he became the fastest player to reach 25 goal contributions in a single season last year.