Lionel Messi has become the first player in Major League Soccer history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons after finishing the regular campaign as the league’s leading scorer.
The Inter Miami captain secured the award despite not scoring in his side’s final regular-season match, a 3-3 draw away to Charlotte on Saturday. Messi provided the assists for Inter Miami’s first two goals at Nu Stadium as the defending champions ended the campaign with a point.
Messi’s 26 goals were enough to keep him at the top of the scoring standings for a second successive season. FC Dallas forward Petar Musa finished second with 22 goals after failing to add to his total in his team’s 3-1 home win against Colorado on the final day.
The draw with Charlotte saw Inter Miami finish second in the Eastern Conference. That position gives them home-field advantage for the opening two rounds of the MLS playoffs.
Messi’s latest award extends an exceptional individual record since his arrival in the United States, while also creating a new benchmark in Major League Soccer. No player had previously claimed the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.
Although the Argentina international did not find the net in the final fixture, his involvement in both of Inter Miami’s opening goals helped the team secure the result it needed to retain second place in the conference standings.
