Historic Golden Boot Success
Lionel Messi has written his name in the record books. The Inter Miami forward finished the 2026 Major League Soccer regular season with 26 goals to become the first player to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards. Messi played 31 games, making 29 starts, to secure the top scoring spot.
His impressive figures did not stop at scoring goals. The 39 year old also recorded 17 assists, giving him a league high of 43 goal contributions in total. He finished four goals ahead of his nearest challenger, FC Dallas forward Petar Musa from Croatia, while Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge took third place with 21 goals.
Final Regular Season Match
Messi did not add to his scoring tally during his final regular season game on Saturday. Inter Miami held a comfortable three goal lead at halftime against Charlotte FC after goals from Ian Fray, Luis Suarez, and Rodrigo De Paul. Messi provided the corner kick that led to the opening goal and also helped set up the second.
However, Charlotte mounted a strong comeback after the break. Liel Abada scored twice, and Rodolfo Aloko equalized in the 90th minute to make the final score 3-3. Despite the draw, Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference table with 60 points.
More Awards on the Horizon
Messi earned the Golden Boot in 2025 by scoring 29 goals in 28 regular season games alongside 19 assists. That performance brought him the 2025 MVP award. He is currently the front runner to win the MVP trophy again for 2026. If he wins, he would become the first three time winner, having also claimed the prize in 2024 during his first full season with Miami.
Inter Miami coach Cristian Kily Gonzalez praised the star forward recently. Gonzalez stated that Messi is the best of all and deserves both the MVP and the Ballon d'Or. Miami will now prepare for a best-of-three first-round playoff series against the Columbus Crew with home advantage.
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