Lionel Messi continues to rewrite MLS history as he seized control of the Golden Boot race with a spectacular two-goal performance in Inter Miami’s dominant 4-0 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday night at Chase Stadium. The Argentine legend’s brace took his season tally to 26 goals, moving him two clear of LAFC’s Denis Bouanga in the scoring race.
What made this performance even more remarkable was that Messi wasn’t originally supposed to play. He had been with the Argentina national team during the October international break but was granted permission to return to Miami after sitting out Argentina’s match against Venezuela. The timing proved perfect as his Argentina teammates, including teammate Rodrigo De Paul who remained with the national squad, were in attendance to witness his brilliance.
Messi’s double against Atlanta marked his ninth multi-goal game of the 2025 season, setting a new MLS single-season record and surpassing the previous mark of eight held by Stern John, Mamadou Diallo, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Beyond the goals, the 38-year-old also provided an assist to Jordi Alba, pushing his season total to an extraordinary 44 goal contributions.
This performance places Messi on the verge of becoming the first player in MLS history to win back-to-back MVP awards, as he trails only Carlos Vela’s 2019 record of 49 goal contributions by just five points. With one regular season match remaining against Nashville SC on Decision Day, Messi’s hunt for the Golden Boot will come down to the final weekend, setting up a thrilling conclusion to one of the most statistically impressive individual seasons in league history.
