Another season, another place in the record books for Lionel Messi.
The Argentine finished four goals clear of FC Dallas striker Petar Musa to retain the award, with Nashville’s Sam Surridge third on 21.
Messi scored his 26 goals in 31 appearances, adding 17 assists to finish with a league-leading 43 goal contributions. Even by his standards, it was a remarkable return.
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Only one of those goals came from the penalty spot. His 25 non-penalty goals rank second in a single MLS season, behind the 28 he scored himself in 2025.
There is something familiar about Messi setting the benchmark and then providing the closest challenge to it.
His latest haul follows the 29 goals that earned him last season’s Golden Boot, taking his total over the two campaigns to 55. Only Josef Martínez, with 58 in 2018 and 2019, has scored more over two consecutive MLS seasons.
The creativity remains just as significant. Messi has become the first player in league history to register at least 40 goal contributions in successive campaigns, continuing to supply the chances while finishing so many himself.
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Attention now turns to Miami’s MLS Cup defence.
They enter the play-offs as the Eastern Conference’s second seeds and will face Columbus Crew in a best-of-three first-round series.
There could also be another individual milestone ahead. Having won the league’s Most Valuable Player award in 2024 and 2025, Messi is in contention to become its first three-time winner.
For now, the Golden Boot belongs to him again. The next task is to turn that scoring form into another title for Miami.
Photo: Brett Davis/Getty Images
