Fresh off winning the MLS Golden Boot and being named a finalist for MLS MVP, Messi opened the scoring for the Herons in the 19th minute with a diving header off a cross from longtime teammate Luis Suárez, showcasing the 38-year-old’s off-ball smarts with deceiving runs into the box.

Lionel Messi and Denis Bouanga in the runningMLS has unveiled the finalists for its 2025 awards. Lionel Messi and Gabonese striker Denis Bouanga have both been nominated.Lionel Messi

The Danish midfielder was the joint leader in assists and tallied 19 goals. San Diego's 63 points were also a record for an MLS expansion franchise. The club claimed the top seed in the Western Conference, owning the tiebreaker over the Vancouver Whitecaps.

This article was originally published on www.si.com as Neymar: Lionel Messi Reunion One of ‘Two Feasible Scenarios’ Before World Cup.

The Manchester United loanee named Cristiano Ronaldo as the best finisher of all time. He named Gianluigi Buffon as the best goalkeeper of all time while naming another former Italian superstar Paolo Maldinin as the best defender of all time.

The successful manager Pep Guardiola surprised everyone by praising one of his Manchester City players, setting aside Lionel Messi.