Messi Secures Back‑to‑Back MLS Golden Boots, Joining Historic Triumph
Messi tallied 26 regular‑season goals, leading Inter Miami to a second‑place finish in the Eastern Conference.
Published On 8 Nov 2026
Lionel Messi has become the first player to win back‑to‑back Golden Boot awards in Major League Soccer after leading his club Inter Miami to a second‑place finish in the Eastern Conference.
MLS defending champions Miami earned a wasteful 3‑3 draw against Charlotte on the final day of the regular season on Saturday.
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Ian Fray, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul combined to score three goals in the first half for Inter Miami. Liel Abada added a second before Rodolfo Aloko sealed the comeback with a late equaliser.
Ian Fray, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul combined to score three goals in the first half for Inter Miami. Liel Abada added a second before Rodolfo Aloko sealed the comeback with a late equaliser.
Runaway overall leaders Nashville surged to the East title, surpassing the all‑time MLS points record with 77 points after a 2‑0 home victory over Cincinnati. With a 23‑3 record and eight draws, they broke the previous east‑division mark of 74 set by Miami in 2024.
Miami secured second place in the East with 60 points, while third‑place New England fell short of capitalising on Inter’s 1‑0 draw at Orlando, finishing the season 58 points back.
In Miami, Messi’s 14th‑minute corner mis‑fumbled for Charlotte’s Luca de la Torre, who controlled it and gave Ian Fray the opening goal.
A second Corner by Messi in the 33rd minute found Suárez with space on the near post; the Uruguayan headed it in for a 2‑0 lead.
De Paul added a third before halftime, though Abada restored Inter’s lead early and scored a second in the 55th minute.
Aloko equalised in the 90th minute, reacting to a ripple from Smalls’s shot that bounced off the post.
Messi struck the post during stoppage time, but Aloko nearly lifted Miami with a powerful strike that rattled the outside netting.
Messi’s 26 goals this campaign made him the first player to retain the league’s top scoring title.
Petar Musa of Dallas finished second with 22 goals, yet his club ended the season 3‑1 to Colorado without a strike.
The 39‑year‑old concluded the prior season with 29 goals—making him the second player in league history to tally at least 25 goals in two consecutive campaign years.
After a 21‑year international career crowned by the 2022 World Cup triumph, Messi has retired from the national team and recently extended his contract with the MLS club through 2028.
Inter Miami are the MLS Cup champions, having captured the title in Messi’s second season with the club in 2025.
The MLS Cup play‑offs will begin on November 19.
Messi’s side open the postseason against Columbus, while the remaining East clashes feature New England versus Philadelphia, Charlotte against Chicago, and the top seed, Nashville, facing the wild‑card winner—Orlando or Cincinnati.
Columbus capitalised on the Cincinnati defeat, winning 4‑3 at Chicago to finish seventh and thus miss the wild‑card bracket.
