Miami, Florida). Argentina's legendary footballer Lionel Messi has made another big achievement in his name. Football club Inter Miami CF captain Messi has won the Major League Soccer (MLS) Golden Boot Award for the second consecutive season.
He scored 26 goals in the 2026 regular season. With this, he has become the first player in the history of MLS to win the Golden Boot twice consecutively.
Apart from scoring 26 goals, Messi also made 17 assists, making his total goal contribution in the regular season 43. In the race for the Golden Boot, he left behind FC Dallas striker Peter Moses (22 goals) and Nashville SC's Sam Sarridge (21 goals). Brian White of the Vancouver Whitecaps finished fourth with 20 goals.
Messi could not score any goal in Inter Miami's last match of the regular season against Charlotte FC on Saturday. This match was a 3-3 draw.
At one point, Miami took a strong 3-0 lead at home, but Charlotte made a comeback and ended the match in a tie. However, this draw had no impact on Messi's Golden Boot achievement.
According to the league, Messi is the first player to win the Golden Boot Award twice consecutively. He has also become the sixth player to receive this honor twice.
Before him, Bradley Wright-Phillips (2014, 2016), Chris Wondolowski (2010, 2012), Jeff Cunningham (2006, 2009), Taylor Twellman (2002, 2005) and Preki (1997, 2003) have won this award twice each.
Messi also performed brilliantly in 2025 and won the Golden Boot with 29 goals and 19 assists. This season too, he maintained his consistency and remained the biggest pillar of Inter Miami's offensive strength.
Inter Miami scored the league's highest number of 80 goals in the regular season, in which Messi's contribution was very important. After winning the Golden Boot, Messi now has his eyes set on the MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
He can become the first player to win this honor for the third consecutive time. Messi and Inter Miami finished the regular season in second place. Now the team will defend its title in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Even at the age of 39, Messi's performances continue to make him one of the most influential attacking players in MLS. By winning the Golden Boot for the second consecutive time, he has added another historic achievement to his illustrious career.