Messi Makes History with Second Consecutive Golden Boot
Lionel Messi has added another achievement to his illustrious career. The Argentine superstar has made history by winning the Golden Boot for the second consecutive season in Major League Soccer (MLS). He has become the first player in league history to finish as the top scorer in two successive seasons. MLS officially announced Messi’s Golden Boot win on the final day of the regular season.
Mr Messi enjoyed an outstanding season with Inter Miami, scoring 26 goals in 31 matches. He also provided 17 assists for his teammates.
No other player came close to Mr Messi in the scoring chart. FC Dallas forward Petar Musa finished second with 22 goals, while Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge ranked third with 21.
Mr Messi also won the Golden Boot last season after scoring 29 goals. With this achievement, he became only the second player in MLS history to score at least 25 goals in consecutive seasons.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has now become the sixth player to win the Golden Boot twice. Bradley Wright-Phillips, Chris Wondolowski, Jeff Cunningham, Taylor Twellman and Preki had previously won the award twice.
From the league’s launch in 1996 until 2004, the MLS Golden Boot was awarded based on a points system combining goals and assists. Each goal was worth two points, while each assist earned one point. Since 2005, the award has been given directly to the league’s top scorer.
After winning the Golden Boot, Mr Messi now has another major achievement within reach. He has the opportunity to become the first player in MLS history to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award three times. He previously won the honour in 2024 after claiming the Supporters’ Shield and in 2025 after winning the MLS Cup.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami finished the regular season second in the Eastern Conference. They will face seventh-placed Columbus Crew in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs. The two teams will compete in a best-of-three series.
