Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi has etched his name into Major League Soccer history once again by becoming the first player in competition history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons. The 39-year-old secured the individual scoring honour after registering 26 goals across 31 appearances during the campaign. His prolific tally saw him finish four strikes clear of FC Dallas attacker Peter Musa and five ahead of Nashville's English forward Sam Surridge.
By landing the top-scorer accolade, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner becomes just the sixth player to claim the MLS award twice, joining an exclusive group that includes former Charlton Athletic and Southampton striker Bradley Wright-Phillips. Beyond his finishing, the former Argentina forward—who retired from international football earlier this year—also provided 17 assists over the MLS season. That combined total of 43 goal contributions stood as the highest tally in the league for the second year running.
The World Cup winner is now in contention to add yet another historic milestone to his resume as he seeks to become the first three-time winner of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Messi previously earned the honour in 2024 as Inter Miami secured the Supporters' Shield title, and he collected the award again in 2025 when the team won the MLS Cup.
Despite the talisman's standout offensive production, Miami could not capture first place in the MLS Eastern Conference, finishing the regular season 17 points behind Surridge's Nashville. Attention now turns to the postseason, where Miami are scheduled to face Columbus Crew in a three-match series during the first round of the MLS Cup play-offs later this month.
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