'He had an actual rivalry' - Herculez Gomez rates Carlos Vela's 2019 MLS season ahead of Lionel Messi's record-setting 2025 campaign - because of Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

Despite acknowledging Messi's statistical brilliance in 2025, the ESPN FC analyst gave the nod to Vela's 2019 season when comparing the two campaigns. The 2019 season featured a compelling race between Vela and Zlatan Ibrahimović. The Mexican international finished with 34 goals while the Swedish star had 30.

"I’m going to lean Carlos Vela,” Gomez said on the Futbol Americas podcast. “And only for one reason and one reason only - Carlos Vela had a nemesis that year. He had an actual rivalry and the league was better for it... And the games they had against each other? It made Carlos Vela better. There is nobody making Messi better. There is nobody to rival Lionel Messi, to even be the nemesis of Lionel Messi.

"And because of that, I think the narrative here is that it’s kind of boring. Messi is doing what he does and there’s no drama. The only drama is well, will he finally do what we all think they’re going to do - win MLS Cup?”

The former USMNT striker praised Messi after his Decision Day hat-trick, which sealed the Golden Boot race. He contrasted the Argentine with former MVP Hany Mukhtar and 2025 Golden Boot contender Sam Surridge, saying neither could truly compete with Messi.

"Surridge was in the fight for the Golden Boot and Hany Mukhtar is a former Golden Boot and former MLS MVP of this league - and they’re still not at the level of a Messi," he said. "He’s beyond any player in this league. Despite his age he just takes over. This is a player who is fighting for the Golden Boot, is fighting to break records, scores his first penalty in this game... And he’s also giving penalties away to his teammates, to players trying to make a name for themselves on the team.

"So he’s giving up goal contributions. And for us, it's like we’re looking at him making history here - but he’s looking at it as another day in the office."

While Gomez favored Vela's season for its narrative appeal, Messi's 2025 regular-season campaign was historically dominant by nearly every statistical measure. His 1.03 goals-per-game average ranks second only to Vela's 2019 campaign (1.10) among Golden Boot winners since 2005. Twenty-eight of Messi's 29 goals came from open play - the most in a season in league history by three goals.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also became the first player in MLS history to record 10 multi-goal games in a season, breaking the previous mark of eight.

As Inter Miami prepares for a playoff matchup against the same Nashville SC side that Messi dominated on Decision Day, the Argentine's continued excellence at age 38 has redefined expectations for what's possible in MLS.