A first consecutive winner
Lionel Messi has won the 2026 MLS Golden Boot after scoring 26 goals for Inter Miami. MLS says he is the first player in league history to take the award in consecutive seasons, and the sixth player to win it twice.
Messi also supplied 17 assists, giving him a league-best 43 goal contributions. He finished ahead of FC Dallas striker Petar Musa, who scored 22 goals, and Nashville SC striker Sam Surridge, who finished with 21.
How this compares with 2025
His previous Golden Boot came with 29 goals and 19 assists in 2025. The new award recognizes his 2026 regular-season scoring; those earlier totals belong to last season.
The Golden Boot is separate from the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Messi won MVP in 2024 and 2025, but this scoring announcement does not award him the 2026 MVP.
Miami faces Columbus next
Inter Miami finished as the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed. MLS lists a Round One Best-of-3 playoff series against the seventh-seeded Columbus Crew as its next assignment.
That matchup concerns the playoffs rather than the Golden Boot race, which is settled by regular-season scoring. Check the league’s current playoff schedule for confirmed game dates; no dates or viewing packages are established by this award announcement.
