Lionel Messi has done it again. The Argentine captain finished the MLS regular season as the league's top scorer for a second year running, becoming the first player in the competition's history to win the Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons, Channels TV reported.
Messi ended the campaign on 26 goals. His closest challenger, Petar Musa of FC Dallas, finished four behind on 22 and did not find the net as Dallas beat Colorado 3-1 at home on the final day, so the race was effectively settled.
The award was confirmed on Saturday, the last matchday of the regular season, which MLS calls Decision Day because every club plays at the same time.
No goal, but two assists for the GOAT
Funny enough, Messi did not score on the day his record was sealed. Instead, the 2025 MLS champions' talisman played provider, delivering the corner kicks that led to Inter Miami's opening two goals against Charlotte at the club's Nu Stadium in Miami.
In the 14th minute, his corner bounced unexpectedly to Charlotte's own Luca de la Torre, whose clumsy touch looped the ball up for Ian Fray to put Miami in front. Nineteen minutes later, another Messi delivery picked out his long-time friend Luis Suarez, completely unmarked at the near post, and the Uruguayan flicked a header in to double the lead.
Rodrigo De Paul, Messi's Argentina teammate, added a third before the interval, and at 3-0 the hosts looked to be cruising.
Charlotte's comeback
Charlotte had other ideas. Liel Abada struck early in the second half and then scored again in the 55th minute to cut the gap to one. With the clock ticking into the 90th minute, Rodolfo Aloko reacted quickest after a shot from Smalls cannoned off the woodwork, and he levelled the game at 3-3.
Channels TV described Messi as visibly frustrated as the lead slipped away. He struck the post himself in stoppage time, and at the other end Aloko nearly completed an improbable turnaround, blasting a powerful effort that ended up in the side netting.
What the draw means for Inter Miami
Even with the wasted advantage, the point was enough. Inter Miami finished second in the Eastern Conference on 60 points, which hands them home advantage for the opening two rounds of the playoffs. New England, sitting third, could have overtaken them but lost 1-0 away at Orlando and ended on 58 points.
Messi and his teammates will start their title defence against Columbus. The Crew secured seventh place and dodged the wild-card round by winning a seven-goal thriller 4-3 at Chicago, taking advantage of a defeat for Cincinnati.
