Lionel Messi added another feather to his cap when he lifted the Major League Soccer (MLS) Golden Boot following Inter Miami’s 5-2 win over Nashville.
Messi scored 29 goals in the league, including a hat-trick in the final matchweek match against Nashville, making him the league’s top scorer during his second full season with the Herons.
Messi also added 19 assists as he defeated LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (24 goals) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (24 goals). He is Miami’s first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to take home the award since Valentín ‘Taty’ Castellanos did so with New York City FC in 2021.
Now Messi looks poised to become the first-ever back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner after a historic 2024 campaign that helped Miami claim that year’s Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking fashion.
Messi and Miami are the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they will face No. 6 Nashville in a Round One Best-of-3 Series. This year’s MLS Cup champion will be crowned on December 6.
Published on October 19, 2025
