Lionel Messi has secured the Messi MLS Golden Boot for the second straight year, making him the first player in Major League Soccer history to claim the award in consecutive seasons. The Inter Miami forward finished the campaign with 26 goals from 31 appearances, according to league figures.
The 39-year-old’s tally placed him four goals ahead of FC Dallas striker Peter Musa and five clear of Nashville’s English forward Sam Surridge. Messi’s achievement adds another milestone to a career that already includes eight Ballon d’Or honours and a World Cup triumph with Argentina.
A select group of two-time winners
By collecting the Golden Boot again, Messi becomes only the sixth player to win the award twice. Among those he joins is Bradley Wright-Phillips, the former Charlton Athletic and Southampton striker who previously topped the league’s scoring charts on two occasions.
The Argentine’s contribution extended beyond goals. He recorded 17 assists during the MLS season, giving him 43 goal contributions in total, which was also the best figure in the league for the second consecutive year. That combination of scoring and creating has been central to Inter Miami’s attacking output.
MVP history within reach
Further recognition could be on the horizon. Messi is in contention to become the first three-time winner of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. He took the honour in 2024, when Inter Miami won the Supporters’ Shield, and again in 2025, a season that ended with the club lifting the MLS Cup.
Those individual awards underline his impact since arriving in Florida, even as the team’s overall league position fell short of the summit this year.
Miami's playoff path
Despite Messi’s scoring feats, Inter Miami were unable to finish top of the Eastern Conference. They ended the regular season 17 points behind Nashville, the club of Surridge.
Miami’s focus now shifts to the MLS Cup play-offs, which begin later this month. They will meet Columbus Crew in a three-game first-round series, with a place in the next stage at stake.
The Golden Boot is a personal landmark, but the coming weeks offer Messi and his teammates the chance to pursue a team prize. For a player who has so often delivered on the biggest stages, the playoff series against Columbus represents the next opportunity to add to an already decorated spell in North America.
