Lionel Messi won the 2026 MLS Golden Boot with 26 goals, the first player to take the award in consecutive seasons.
A late finish settled the race
The award was settled on the final day of the regular season, when Inter Miami drew 3-3 with Charlotte at Nu Stadium in Miami, closing the scoring race. It was level.
Messi didn't score in that match, but set up Inter Miami's first two goals, both from corners.
Messi's 14th-minute corner led to Ian Fray's opening goal. Another corner, in the 33rd minute, found Luis Suarez at the near post, and Rodrigo De Paul added the third first-half goal for the club.
After the break, Liel Abada scored twice for Charlotte. Rodolfo Aloko equalised in the 90th minute, and Messi hit the post in stoppage time, leaving the match level.
What second place means for Miami
The draw left Inter Miami second in the Eastern Conference on 60 points, giving the club home-field advantage for the first two playoff rounds.
Inter Miami will face Columbus at the start of the playoffs. New England finished third in the East on 58 points, losing 1-0 at Orlando.
The top seed, Nashville, will face either Orlando or Cincinnati, the wild-card winner. Philadelphia against New England and Chicago against Charlotte make up the other Eastern Conference matchups.
Nashville beat Cincinnati 2-0 to finish with a record of 23-3 and eight draws, setting an all-time MLS single-season points record with 77. A record season.
The 77 points broke the previous mark of 74, which Inter Miami set in 2024.
Messi's goals and assists against the chasers
In the 2025 season, Messi scored 29 goals, becoming the second player in league history with at least 25 goals in consecutive years, The Hindu reported.
His 26 goals this season came in 31 matches, fewer than the 29 he scored in 2025. Marca reported that six came from free-kicks.
Messi also tied for the league lead in assists with 13, level with Evander, Joaquin Pereyra, Cristian Espinoza and Albert Rusnak.
Messi's 39 goal contributions compared with 27 each for Petar Musa, Evander and Anders Dreyer, tied for second. FC Dallas' Musa finished second in the scoring race with 22 goals.
| Player | Club | Goals | Goal contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | 26 | 39 |
| Petar Musa | FC Dallas | 22 | 27 |
The West and the wider playoff picture
Vancouver beat Montreal 2-0 to win the Western Conference and finish second overall, giving it home-field advantage in a rematch of last year's MLS Cup final against Inter Miami.
Six teams competed for the last three Western Conference places on the final matchday. Portland beat Austin 2-0, Real Salt Lake beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1, and Seattle beat Los Angeles FC 2-1 to claim the remaining places.
In the West, Vancouver will play the Seattle-Salt Lake wild-card winner; Portland faces Dallas, St. Louis meets LAFC, and San Jose takes on Houston.
Messi's club career and contract
The Hindu reported that Messi has helped Inter Miami win four trophies, including its first MLS Cup title last season, since joining the club from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.
In October, Messi signed a contract extension with Inter Miami through 2028. He is 39 and retired from international football earlier this year after 21 years.
Marca said Messi looks like the clear favorite for MLS MVP and has taken the award in each of the last two seasons.
Whether Messi will be named MLS MVP for 2026 remains unconfirmed.
The MLS Cup Playoffs begin on 19 November, with Inter Miami opening against Columbus.
