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Lionel Messi eyes historic third straight MLS MVP award as USMNT star Cavan Sullivan becomes youngest-ever finalist

The Full List The Full List Landon Donovan MLS MVP Evander (FC Cincinnati) Guilherme (Houston Dynamo FC) Lionel Messi (Inter Miami CF) Hany Mukhtar (Nashville SC) Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union) Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year B.J.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•2 min read•Updated November 12, 2026, 6:09 PM UTC
Key points
  • Louis CITY SC) Brian Schwake (Nashville SC) Matt Turner (New England Revolution) MLS Newcomer of the Year Antoine Griezmann (Orlando City SC) Guilherme (Houston Dynamo FC) André Luiz (Sporting Kansas City) MLS Young Player of the Year Julian Hall (Red Bull New York) Adri Mehmeti (Red Bull New York) Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia Union).
  • Callaghan guided Nashville to a league-record 77 points, while Damet oversaw a 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions, the longest by an MLS club.
  • Sullivan helped drive Philadelphia’s surge after the World Cup break, while Mukhtar played a central role in Nashville’s Supporters’ Shield triumph.

Sullivan also shortlisted for Young Player of the Year Sullivan also shortlisted for Young Player of the Year Sullivan’s breakthrough campaign also earned him a place among the Young Player of the Year finalists, alongside Red Bull New York teammates Julian Hall and Adri Mehmeti.

Additional details
  • The Argentine scored 26 goals and provided 17 assists in 31 appearances, winning the Golden Boot and leading MLS with 43 goal contributions.
  • Louis CITY SC’s Yoann Damet and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Jesper Sørensen are the finalists for Sigi Schmid MLS Coach of the Year.
  • Andy Najar, Jeisson Palacios and Maxwell Woledzi account for the entire Defender of the Year shortlist, while Brian Schwake is in contention for Goalkeeper of the Year.
  • Hall and Mehmeti also enjoyed breakout seasons, with all three players earning USMNT call-ups.
  • Evander finished with 31 goal contributions for Cincinnati, and Guilherme helped Houston return to the playoffs after missing out in 2025.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

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Yahoo SportsNovember 12, 2026, 6:09 PM UTC →

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