Lionel Messi Wins Second Consecutive MLS Golden Boot

Posted : 08 November 2026

Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi secured his second consecutive MLS Golden Boot award on Saturday after the defending champions finished second in the Eastern Conference despite playing out a dramatic 3-3 draw against Charlotte on the final day of the regular season.

The Argentine superstar did not get on the scoresheet but provided assists for Inter Miami's opening two goals, both coming from corner kicks at Nu Stadium. The result ensured Miami secured home-field advantage for the opening two rounds of the MLS playoffs.

Messi finished the regular season with 26 goals, becoming the first player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons. FC Dallas forward Petar Musa finished second in the scoring standings with 22 goals after failing to find the net in his team's 3-1 victory over Colorado.

Inter Miami appeared to be cruising towards victory after Ian Fray, Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul scored three first-half goals. However, Charlotte mounted an impressive second-half comeback, with Liel Abada scoring twice before Rodolfo Aloko struck a late equaliser.

Elsewhere, Nashville SC made history by setting a new MLS record for the most points collected in a single regular season. Their 2-0 victory over Cincinnati took their tally to 77 points, surpassing the previous record of 74 set by Inter Miami in 2024.

Nashville finished the campaign with 23 wins, three defeats and eight draws to secure the Eastern Conference title. Inter Miami ended second with 60 points, while third-placed New England failed to capitalise on Miami's dropped points after suffering a surprising 1-0 defeat away to Orlando, finishing with 58 points.

Messi's Inter Miami will face Columbus in the opening round of the MLS playoffs. The other Eastern Conference fixtures will see New England take on Philadelphia, Charlotte meet Chicago, while top-seeded Nashville will face the winner of the wild-card clash between Orlando and Cincinnati.

Columbus secured seventh place and avoided the wild-card round after recording a thrilling 4-3 victory away to Chicago, taking advantage of Cincinnati's defeat.

At Nu Stadium, Messi's corner in the 14th minute caused problems for the Charlotte defence. The ball fell to Luca de la Torre, whose attempted clearance went awkwardly into the air before Fray capitalised to put Miami ahead.

Another corner from the Argentine in the 33rd minute found Suarez unmarked at the near post. The Uruguayan forward directed a header into the net to double the hosts' advantage.

De Paul added Miami's third goal before the interval, seemingly putting the defending champions in complete control. However, Charlotte responded shortly after the restart, with Abada reducing the deficit before scoring again in the 55th minute to level the contest.

Aloko completed the comeback in the 90th minute, reacting quickest after a shot from Smalls rebounded off the post to give him the opportunity to find the net.

Messi came close to restoring Miami's advantage during stoppage time, but his effort struck the post. Aloko almost snatched a dramatic winner at the other end, sending a powerful effort into the outside of the net.

Seattle and Real Salt Lake Secure Playoff Places

In the Western Conference, Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Canadian rivals Montreal 2-0 to finish second in the overall standings. The result also gave Vancouver a potential home-field advantage should they meet Inter Miami in a rematch of last season's MLS Cup final.

Six teams entered the final day, popularly known as Decision Day, competing for the remaining three Western Conference playoff places, with every MLS team playing simultaneously.

Portland Timbers, Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy needed victories to guarantee qualification, but only Portland managed to deliver. The Timbers defeated Austin 2-0, while Real Salt Lake claimed a 2-1 victory over the Galaxy and Colorado suffered a defeat away to Dallas, allowing Real Salt Lake to progress.

Seattle Sounders secured the final playoff position with a 2-1 home victory over Los Angeles FC. Albert Rusnak opened the scoring in the first minute before providing the assist for Sebastian Gomez's goal in the 31st minute. Eddie Segura pulled one back for LAFC in the 82nd minute, but Seattle held on to secure qualification.

Minnesota United defeated San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 but still missed out on the playoffs, finishing one point behind Real Salt Lake. The Los Angeles Galaxy also fell short of qualification.

The Western Conference playoff matchups will see Vancouver face the winner of the Seattle-Real Salt Lake wild-card encounter, Dallas take on Portland, LAFC meet St. Louis, and Houston face San Jose.

Lionel Messi Wins Second Consecutive MLS Golden Boot

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