Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 8: Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi continued his remarkable scoring run in Major League Soccer (MLS), winning the 2026 Golden Boot after finishing the regular season with 26 goals and becoming the first player in league history to claim the award in consecutive seasons.
The Argentine superstar finished four goals ahead of FC Dallas forward Petar Musa, who scored 22 goals, while Vancouver Whitecaps FC's Brian White secured third place with 20 goals. The achievement also made Messi only the sixth player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot multiple times.
Playing his fourth MLS season, the 39-year-old topped the scoring charts despite featuring in just 31 regular-season matches. His 26 goals were accompanied by 17 assists, taking his total goal contributions to 43, the third-highest tally recorded in a single MLS season.
Messi led the league in goals per game with an average of 0.87 and shared the top position for the most multi-goal performances with six. He also ranked second in goals per 90 minutes, averaging 0.91.
A significant feature of his campaign was his scoring productivity from open play. Of his 26 goals, only one came from the penalty spot, giving him 25 non-penalty goals, the second-highest single-season tally in MLS history. The record remains with Messi himself, who scored 28 non-penalty goals in 2025.
His latest Golden Boot extended an extraordinary run of consistency in front of goal. After scoring 29 goals in 2025, Messi became only the second player in MLS history to register at least 25 goals in consecutive regular seasons.
Across the last three campaigns, Messi has scored 75 regular-season goals, the second-highest tally by any player over a three-season period in the league's history. He is also only the second player, alongside 2023 Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga, to score at least 20 goals in three successive seasons.
Messi's contribution to Inter Miami has extended well beyond scoring. His 43 goal contributions in 2026 made him the first player in MLS history to record at least 40 goal contributions in consecutive seasons.
His dominance is even more evident over the broader three-season period. Between 2024 and 2026, Messi accumulated 127 goal contributions through goals and assists, which is 28 more than the 98 recorded by the next-best player, Evander, during the same period.
With another scoring title secured, Messi has further strengthened his position among the most influential attacking players in MLS history, adding yet another individual milestone to his illustrious career.