Antoine Griezmann has finished the 2026 Major League Soccer regular season with a distinction that places him ahead of Lionel Messi in one of the league’s monthly honours: the French forward won the MLS Player of the Month award, while the Inter Miami captain did not collect the prize this season.

Griezmann’s award came for October and November, following an outstanding late-season run with Orlando City. The recognition is particularly notable because he only joined the Florida club in July, after completing his move from Atlético de Madrid.

Griezmann Makes Immediate Impact After July Arrival

Orlando City announced Griezmann’s signing in March, confirming that his contract would begin in July when the MLS secondary transfer window opened. He made his move during the summer and quickly became a central figure in the team’s push for a playoff place.

According to MLS, Griezmann scored 14 goals and supplied eight assists in 18 starts after arriving in Orlando. His 22 goal contributions made him the first summer signing in league history to record at least 20 goal contributions during the second half of a club’s regular-season schedule.

His October-November performances proved decisive in the monthly award vote. Griezmann started all seven of Orlando’s matches during the award period, scoring six goals and registering four assists. His 10 goal contributions tied for the league lead, and all came in a five-match stretch between October 10 and October 28.

That run included a goal and an assist against Columbus Crew, another goal-and-assist performance against Toronto FC, and a two-goal, one-assist display against D.C. United. He also scored against New York City FC and contributed a goal and an assist against Chicago Fire.

Messi Goes Without A Monthly Award Despite Historic Numbers

Messi’s absence from the 2026 Player of the Month winners’ list is striking because his individual numbers remained exceptional. The Argentine finished the regular season with 26 goals and 17 assists in 31 appearances, giving him 43 goal contributions and the league’s Golden Boot for a second consecutive year.

MLS confirmed that Messi became the first player in league history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons. His 43 goal contributions were also the third-highest total recorded in a single MLS season.

However, the monthly award is a separate recognition, decided by a panel of selected national and local media members. Messi’s prolific season did not translate into a Player of the Month trophy in 2026, while Griezmann secured the October-November honour.

Who Won The 2026 MLS Player Of The Month Awards?

The official MLS list shows six award periods during the 2026 regular season. Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge won February and March; San Jose Earthquakes’ Timo Werner took April; FC Cincinnati’s Evander won May and July-August; Philadelphia Union’s Cavan Sullivan was recognised for September; and Griezmann claimed October-November for Orlando City.

That means Griezmann finished the season with one Player of the Month award to Messi’s zero. Evander was the only player to win the monthly honour twice in 2026. The comparison is therefore about the number of monthly awards, not a claim that Griezmann had a stronger full-season statistical campaign than Messi.

Award Difference Does Not Settle The MVP Debate

Griezmann’s achievement reflects the remarkable speed with which he adapted to MLS and the impact he made during Orlando’s late-season surge. His scoring and creative output helped the Lions climb into the Eastern Conference playoff picture after spending part of the campaign outside the qualification places.

Messi, meanwhile, produced the league’s most significant scoring return and added another Golden Boot to his collection. The absence of a monthly award does not erase those achievements or automatically rule him out of contention for the league’s end-of-season honours.

The 2026 comparison offers an interesting snapshot of two major stars who arrived at different points in the season and made their impact in different ways. Griezmann claimed the monthly recognition at the end of the campaign; Messi remained the league’s leading scorer and most productive player by total goal contributions.

Sources And Further Reading

Photo: Antoine Griezmann of Orlando City during the MLS match against Real Salt Lake on August 22, 2026. Photo by Keiteay / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.