Lionel Messi has won the 2026 MLS Golden Boot after finishing the regular season with 26 goals for Inter Miami. The league’s announcement following the final round confirms a second successive award for the Argentine, ahead of FC Dallas striker Petar Musa and Nashville’s Sam Surridge.
Musa ended on 22 goals and Surridge on 21, leaving Messi four clear of his nearest challenger. The Miami forward also registered 17 assists, bringing his direct involvement to 43 goals. MLS lists that as the highest combined total in the league this season.
There is a useful comparison with his previous campaign: Messi scored 29 goals and supplied 19 assists in 2025. His goal total fell by three this year, but remained sufficient to lead the competition, while his passing continued to produce goals for teammates alongside his own finishing.
According to the league’s award history, Messi is the first player to win consecutive Golden Boots and the sixth to receive the honour twice. He joins Bradley Wright-Phillips, Chris Wondolowski, Jeff Cunningham, Taylor Twellman and Preki, whose two awards came in separate, non-consecutive seasons.
Inter Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference and will meet Columbus Crew in a Round One Best-of-3 Series. The individual award records Messi’s regular-season scoring achievement; the club’s championship defence now depends on knockout results. Miami enter that stage as the reigning MLS Cup winners, but must first overcome a Columbus side that secured direct qualification on the last day.
Archival cover photograph: Lionel Messi with Inter Miami in July 2025; not from the current event. Photographer/creator: Bryan Berlin. Image source and metadata; CC BY-SA 4.0. Image date as recorded by the source: 2025-07-09 20:55:56. Wikimedia-supplied file used without raster edits.
