Messi wins 2025 MLS Golden Boot: Inter Miami star nets 29 goals, claims top scorer honours

Nashville: Inter Miami CF star Lionel Messi has claimed the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, scoring 29 goals to finish as the league’s top scorer in his second full season with the club.

The Argentine maestro also provided 19 assists, outperforming LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge, who ended the regular season with 24 goals each. Messi becomes Inter Miami’s first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to secure the award since Valentín “Taty” Castellanos in 2021 with New York City FC.

Messi capped off his record-setting campaign with a brilliant display on Decision Day, scoring a hat-trick and contributing an assist in Miami’s 5-2 win over Nashville. His 48 goal contributions this season (29 goals, 19 assists) fell just one short of Carlos Vela’s all-time MLS record of 49 from 2019.

The 38-year-old forward now looks poised to make history again as the first player to win back-to-back MLS MVP awards, following his spectacular 2024 season when Miami lifted the Supporters’ Shield.

Inter Miami enters the MLS Cup Playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face No. 6 Nashville in a best-of-three Round One series. The MLS Cup final is set for December 6.

Earlier this week, Messi also broke another record at the international level, becoming the player with the most assists in men’s international football. His two assists in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Puerto Rico took his tally to 60, surpassing Neymar and Landon Donovan (both on 58). With this, Messi is now just three assists away from reaching 400 career assists across club and international football.

With inputs from IANS