Lionel Messi has won the MLS Golden Boot for the second season running after the Inter Miami captain held on to top spot in the scoring charts through the final round of the regular season.
Messi went goalless in the finale against Charlotte but set up Luis Suárez from a corner. Inter Miami went three goals up in the first half, only to surrender their lead and draw 3–3 at home.
The Argentine finished with 26 goals in 31 appearances, four clear of FC Dallas’s Croatian striker Petar Musa and five ahead of Nashville’s English forward Sam Surridge.
Messi won the award in 2025 with 29 goals. His latest triumph makes him the first player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons and the sixth to win it more than once.
Only one of Messi’s 26 goals this season came from the penalty spot. His 25 non-penalty goals rank second in MLS single-season history, behind his own record of 28 set in 2025.
His assist against Charlotte took him to 17 for the season, tied for second behind Pep Biel, who led the league with 18. Messi finished alone at the top of the goal contributions chart with 43 goals and assists combined.
Inter Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference with 60 points and will face seventh-placed Columbus Crew in a best-of-three series in the first round of the playoffs.
Miami will host the opener and, if needed, Game 3 as they begin their MLS Cup title defence. They won the trophy for the first time last year with a 3–1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in the final.
