Inter Miami's Lionel Messi wins 2025 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi | OneFootball

By MLSsoccer staff

Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi has won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, netting 29 goals to become the league's top scorer during his second full season with the Herons.

Messi added 19 assists as he beat out LAFC's Denis Bouanga (24 goals) and Nashville SC's Sam Surridge (24 goals). He is Miami's first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to take home the award since Valentín "Taty" Castellanos did so with New York City FC in 2021.

The iconic No. 10 tallied 3g/1a during Saturday's 5-2 Decision Day victory at Nashville, giving him 48 goal contributions this year – narrowly shy of Carlos Vela's MLS-record 49 for LAFC in 2019.

Now, Messi looks poised to become the league's first-ever back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner, following a historic 2024 campaign that helped Miami claim that year's Supporters' Shield in record-breaking fashion.

Messi and Miami are the Eastern Conference No. 3 seed in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they'll face No. 6 Nashville in a Round One Best-of-3 Series. This year's MLS Cup champion will be crowned on Dec. 6.

Lionel Messi wins 2025 MLS Golden Boot pres. by Audi

Messi, the most decorated soccer player of all time, now adds the MLS Golden Boot to his unmatched resumé. He's the latest in an exclusive list of players who have clinched the honor since the league's inaugural season in 1996.

From 1996-2004, the MLS Golden Boot was awarded under a points-based system that gave two points for a goal and one for an assist, before switching to outright goals. Check out the full list of winners below.

MLS Golden Boot winners 2005-2025 (outright goals)

MLS Golden Boot winners 1996-2004 (points-based system)