Nov 8, 1:00 PM
Lionel Messi Claims Second Consecutive MLS Golden Boot Title
The Argentine forward finished the regular season with 26 goals as Inter Miami secured second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the playoffs.
Argentine forward Lionel Messi has become the first player in Major League Soccer history to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards, finishing the regular season with 26 goals for Inter Miami. The achievement was confirmed on Saturday following the conclusion of the regular-season fixtures, in which Inter Miami secured second place in the Eastern Conference ahead of the MLS Cup playoffs.
In their final regular-season match, Inter Miami recorded a 3-3 draw against Charlotte FC at Nu Stadium. Messi assisted the opening two goals from corner kicks, setting up Ian Fray in the 14th minute and Luis Suárez in the 33rd minute, before Rodrigo De Paul added a third prior to half-time. Charlotte responded after the interval with two goals from Liel Abada and a 90th-minute equaliser from Rodolfo Aloko, while Messi struck the post in stoppage time.
The draw brought Inter Miami to 60 points on the season, securing home-field advantage for the first two rounds of the postseason. Third-placed New England missed an opportunity to pass Miami after suffering a 1-0 loss at Orlando to finish on 58 points. In the top-scorer standings, Petar Musa of Dallas finished second behind Messi with 22 goals after remaining goalless in a 3-1 win over Colorado.
Messi, who scored 29 goals during the 2025 season, is the second player in league history to register at least 25 goals in consecutive years. The 39-year-old recently retired from international football following a 21-year career with Argentina, while signing a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028. Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, regular-season winners Nashville set an MLS record with 77 points following a 2-0 victory over Cincinnati, breaking the previous record of 74 points established by Inter Miami in 2024.
The MLS Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on November 19, with defending champions Inter Miami set to face seventh-placed Columbus in the opening round. Columbus avoided the wild-card round by securing a 4-3 win at Chicago. In other Eastern Conference playoff ties, New England will play Philadelphia, Charlotte faces Chicago, and top-seeded Nashville will meet the winner of the wild-card match between Orlando and Cincinnati.
Written by Martina Kirchner martina.kirchner@alpineweekly.com
