Lionel Messi will turn 38 this June, but he remains arguably the best player in Major League Soccer. The Argentine international reminded us of this by making history on the seventh matchday of the 2025 campaign after scoring Inter Miami’s lone goal in their 1-1 draw against Toronto FC yesterday.
Despite Messi’s efforts, Inter Miami are not at the top of the Eastern Conference table. Columbus Crew, the 2023 winners, have taken the top seed because they’re one of the few undefeated teams left this campaign.
On the other hand, the Vancouver Whitecaps are punching above their weight in the Western Conference. They’re at the top of the standings with 16 points. They’re also making a deep run into the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The season is still young, but several developments are already unfolding. Learn more about them, as SBOTOP brings you the latest Major League Soccer 2025 updates.
Messi leapfrogs Higuain for Inter Miami record
Inter Miami trailed 1-0 when Federico Bernardeschi scored for Toronto FC. However, Lionel Messi came to the rescue with his left-footed volley right before the end of the first half. In doing so, he surpassed Gonzalo Higuain for the most goal contributions in club history. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has 44 goal contributions in 29 regular season matches, notching 24 goals and 20 assists with the Herons.
Since arriving from PSG in 2023, Messi has made Major League Soccer his playground. He led Inter Miami to win the US Leagues Cup trophy in his first season, and he was a key cog in the team’s 2024 Supporters’ Shield-winning campaign, in which they set the single-season points record. Messi also won the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award after recording 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 appearances.
It took 67 matches for Higuain to reach 43 goal contributions with the Herons. Messi is only six goals away from surpassing Higuain’s goal mark.
With Messi leading the way, Inter Miami are still undefeated in the league this season (W4, D2). However, they’re on the verge of being eliminated by LAFC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-finals after losing 1-0 in the first leg. The Major League Soccer 2025 odds remain optimistic on the Herons’ chances to advance, but it’ll likely come on the back of another superb performance from the GOAT.
Columbus Crew show their class
Many thought the Columbus Crew would drop their level after selling Cucho Hernandez to Real Betis for a reported eight-figure fee last winter. Cucho was one of the best attackers the Major League Soccer has ever seen. The Colombian striker led Columbus Crew to win the Major League Soccer Cup in 2023 and the US Leagues Cup in 2024.
Despite losing Cucho with no replacements, Wilfried Nancy’s men haven’t skipped a beat. They’re fresh from a 2-1 win over Montreal last Sunday. Diego Rossi and Jacen Russell-Rowe lead their frontline with seven league goals and one assist combined. Dylan Chambost, Steven Moreira, and DeJuan Jones are the team’s joint-top playmakers with two assists each.
The Columbus Crew’s early soft schedule helps since they stacked points early, and their early elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup could be a blessing in disguise schedule-wise. At some point, the law of averages will catch up to them, making it harder for them to thrive without their MVP.
Vancouver Whitecaps taking over the West
The Vancouver Whitecaps have raised eyebrows after the first seven matchdays of the 2025 campaign. In Jesper Sørensen’s first few games in charge, Vancouver already have 16 points to be the top seed in the ultra-tough Western Conference – a far cry from their eight-place finish last term. It also helps that the traditional contenders are slow out of the gate.
Vancouver are doing this without their best player, making it more impressive. Team captain Ryan Gauld is out due to a knee injury, yet the team is doing this and is poised to advance to the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals.
Brian White and Sam Adekugbe are Vancouver’s joint-leading scorers with two league goals each. Jayden Nelson has been the team’s top playmaker with four assists, and he’s only 22 years old.
Vancouver’s backline also deserves plaudits since they’ve only conceded five league goals so far this season. Ranko Veselinovic and Tristan Blackmon are forming a strong centre-half partnership, especially after the latter was named to the Major League Soccer Team of matchday 7.
Vancouver cannot be complacent since San Diego FC, Minnesota, and Austin are lurking behind them in the Western Conference table.
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