Lionel Messi continues to rewrite the record books in Major League Soccer, with the Inter Miami captain becoming the first player in the league’s history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons. At 39, the Argentine superstar showed no signs of slowing down, finishing the 2026 regular season with 26 goals to claim the scoring title for the second year running.Messi finished four goals ahead of FC Dallas forward Petar Musa, who managed 22, while Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s Brian White occupied third place with 20 goals. The latest honour also made Messi only the sixth player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot multiple times.
Messi’s incredible scoring numbers power Inter Miami captain to another Golden Boot
In his fourth MLS season, Messi topped the scoring charts despite featuring in just 31 regular-season matches. His 26 goals were accompanied by 17 assists, taking his overall goal contributions to 43 — the third-highest tally recorded in a single MLS season.The Argentine also led the league in goals per game, averaging 0.87, and shared the top spot for the most multi-goal performances with six. He ranked second in goals per 90 minutes, with an impressive average of 0.91.One of the standout aspects of Messi’s campaign was his productivity from open play. Of his 26 goals, only one came from the penalty spot, leaving him with 25 non-penalty goals — the second-highest single-season tally in MLS history. The record belongs to Messi himself, who scored 28 non-penalty goals in 2025.
Back-to-back 25-goal seasons put Messi in elite MLS company
Messi’s latest Golden Boot further extended his remarkable consistency in front of goal. After scoring 29 times in the 2025 regular season, he became only the second player in MLS history to register at least 25 goals in consecutive campaigns.His dominance has been equally impressive over a longer period. Messi has scored 75 regular-season goals across the last three campaigns, the second-highest tally by any player in a three-season period in MLS history.He is also only the second player, alongside 2023 Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga, to score at least 20 goals in three consecutive regular seasons.
Messi’s 43 goal contributions create another MLS milestone
While his goals have grabbed the headlines, Messi’s creative influence has been equally significant. His 43 goal contributions in 2026 made him the first player in MLS history to register at least 40 goal contributions in successive seasons.His numbers across the 2024-2026 period underline the scale of his impact. Messi has accumulated 127 goal contributions during these three seasons, comprising goals and assists. That is 28 more than the next-best tally of 98, recorded by Evander over the same period.