Lionel Messi's best MLS Cards are hidden treasures

Lionel Messi is the biggest name in the soccer card landscape even to this day. While Lamine Yamal is hot on his heels, Messi is still king in these parts of the hobby. While his Inter Miami cards will never approach the levels of his Barcelona or Argentina cards, there is still a highly dedicated fan base that chases all things Messi, even across the pond here in MLS.

The Round of 16 is underway in the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, and Messi and Inter Miami are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 1, for the second leg of their best-of-three matchup against Nashville SC. Messi scored twice in the opening game en route to Inter Miami's decisive 3-1 win. In honor of his big first leg, we'll look at some of his best MLS cards.

1. 2023 Topps Chrome MLS Variation Superfractor PSA 8

Messi's top MLS card is his highest sale from his first Topps Chrome MLS set in an Inter Miami uniform. The sale on Oct. 24, 2025 was for a whopping $42,000 at Fanatics premier auction. The image variation looks awesome in the Superfractor parallel. The aesthetics of the card in the training gear are awesome, too.

2. 2023 Topps Finest MLS Superfractor Auto PSA 10

There has been some controversy over PSA grading or not grading Messi's autos, and this sale comes from well before the controversy started. At $40,260 back in March of 2024, this is the second-highest sale of a Messi MLS card. Personally, I prefer the design of the 2024 Topps Finest MLS base autogaphs, but the 2023 design was solid.

3. 2024 Topps Finest MLS Finest Debuts Superfractor Autograph BGS 9

Messi Finest Debuts Superfractor Auto — CardLadder

For me, these are the best looking Messi autos we've seen in an MLS uniform. The set was also on-card and allowed him to go big on the auto. This is his biggest second-year MLS card coming in just under $25k at $24,474. The design is one of his best in MLS, and much better than the cards coming out of the MLS Mania boxes which were much more expensive than Finest this year.

Honorable Mention: 2024 Topps Finest MLS Pop Art Superfractor PSA 10

This isn't his most expensive card or even his most expensive insert from Messi's second year in MLS, but this is a personal favorite. The Pop Art inserts were semi-case hits, falling two per case, and the numbered variations were even tougher to hit. They were a very popular chase for collectors and looked visually stunning in the various parallels.