Lionel Messi has won the MLS 2025 golden boot by a distance after another spectacular season for Inter Miami.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi finished the regular season with a hat-trick in a 5-2 win at Nashville as Miami finished third in the Eastern Conference.
The treble meant Messi ended five goals ahead of his nearest rivals, while no player eclipsed the Argentina icon’s haul of assists.
Find out how many goals Messi scored during the regular season and read the full 2025 golden boot list in the MLS.
Another vintage performance from Messi to lock up the Golden Boot pres. by Audi. 🙌
📺 Watch MLS Wrap-Up: https://t.co/8io6eQFHb4 pic.twitter.com/a8HvvPIx06
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
MLS golden boot race: Full list as Messi wins
Remarkably, Messi made at least two fewer MLS appearances than any other player in the top 10 for the season.
Denis Bouanga, who came joint-second, had the distinction of becoming LAFC’s all-time top scorer courtesy of a goal in a 4-1 win at Real Salt Lake on September 17.
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami): 29 goals in 28 games (1.08 goals per 90 minutes)
Denis Bouanga (LAFC): 24 in 31 (0.81)
Sam Surridge (Nashville): 24 in 34 (0.73)
Anders Dreyer (San Diego): 19 in 34 (0.57)
Evander (Cincinnati): 18 in 32 (0.59)
Dejan Joveljic (Sporting Kansas City): 18 in 32 (0.59)
Petar Musa (Dallas): 18 in 30 (0.71)
Alonso Martinez (New York City): 17 in 30 (0.61)
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (New York Red Bulls): 17 in 33 (0.54)
Hugo Cuypers (Chicago Fire): 17 in 33 (0.54)
29 goals in the regular season. 💪
Hat trick and an assist to secure the dub.
Potential Golden Boot pres. by Audi award for Messi waiting. pic.twitter.com/9sUbONDSXT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 19, 2025
MLS golden boot 2025: Messi assists
Only San Diego’s Anders Dreyer matched Messi’s total of 19 assists during the regular season, with Cincinnati’s Evander, Orlando City’s Martín Ojeda and Philip Zinckernagel and Inter Miami’s Jordi Alba next, on 15.
Messi’s total of 48 goal contributions in 2025 was one short of the record, set by Carlos Vela for LAFC in 2019.
MLS golden boot: Messi 2025 stats
Here are a selection of Messi landmarks picked out by Inter Miami during the 2025 regular season.
February 22 (vs New York City): Messi became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 career goal contributions during the regular season, contributing 21 goals and 19 assists in 26 matches.
April 6 (vs Toronto): A goal in the 1-1 draw gave Messi 44 goal contributions in 29 regular-season matches (24 goals, 20 assists), beating Gonzalo Higuain’s record for the most in club history during the regular season.
May 28 (vs Montreal): Two goals and an assist in the 4-2 win made Messi the first player in Miami history to reach 50 goal contributions during the regular season (29 goals, 21 assists), requiring 37 games.
May 28 to July 12: Multiple goals in five consecutive games ensured Messi was the first player in MLS history to score multiple goals in more than four matches, netting 10 times in total.
August 16 (vs LA Galaxy): Messi’s goal in the 3-1 win made him the second-fastest player in MLS history to reach 40 career goals, doing so in just 44 matches (Josef Martinez achieved the feat in 42).
September 20 (vs DC United): Two goals and an assist represented Messi’s 16th game with at least one goal and one assist, matching Carlos Vela’s record (16) for the second-most in a player’s first three MLS seasons, behind only Preki (17).
October 4 (vs New England Revolution): Three assists in a 4-0 win against New England Revolution made Messi became the second player in MLS history to reach at least 40 combined goals and assists in a regular campaign.
October 11 (vs Atlanta United): Two goals in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United made Messi the first player in MLS history to record nine multi-goal games in a single regular season.
MLS golden boot: Messi goals record
Messi is Miami’s first-ever golden boot winner since their inception in 2018 and the first Argentinian victor since Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos for New York City FC in 2021.
In his first full MLS season in 2024, Messi was only outscored by DC United’s Christian Benteke and had by far the highest goals record per 90 minutes, with a 1.21 average standing 0.25 ahead of any other player among the leaders.
Benteke scored 23 goals in 30 games that season, with Messi on 20 in 19 matches. Bouanga and Miami’s Luis Suarez matched his total.
MLS golden boot winners by year
2025: Lionel Messi, Miami (29 goals)
2024: Christian Benteke, DC (23)
2023: Denis Bouanga, LAFC (20)
2022: Hany Mukhtar, Nashville (23)
2021: Taty Castellanos, NYCFC (19)
2020: Diego Rossi, LAFC (14)
2019: Carlos Vela, LAFC (34)
2018: Josef Martinez, Atlanta (31)
2017: Nemanja Nikolic, Chicago (24)
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York (24)
2015: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto (22)
2014: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York (27)
2013: Camilo Sanvezzo, Vancouver (22)
2012: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose (27)
2011: Dwayne De Rosario, DC (16)
2010: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose (18)
2009: Jeff Cunningham, Dallas (17)
2008: Landon Donovan, LA (20)
2007: Luciano Emilio, DC (20)
2006: Jeff Cunningham, Salt Lake (16)
2005: Taylor Twellman, New England (17)
MLS golden boot winners (points-based system)
2004: Amado Guevara, Pat Noonan; MetroStars, New England (30 points)
2003: Preki, Kansas City (41)
2002: Taylor Twellman, New England (52)
2001: Alex Pineda Chacon, Miami (47)
2000: Mamadou Diallo, Tampa Bay (56)
1999: Jason Kreis, Dallas (51)
1998: Stern John, Columbus (57)
1997: Preki, Kansas City (41)
1996: Roy Lassiter, Tampa Bay (58)
How to watch Lionel Messi in the MLS: Live stream, TV channel
Live coverage of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and their MLS rivals is available through the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
In the US, a subscription costs $14.99 a month or $69 a season. Existing Apple TV+ subscribers pay $12.99 per month or $59 a season.
