Lionel Messi Blazes His Way Into MLS History With a Record-Breaking Feat on the Horizon

It's hard to believe that Lionel Messi's first real bid for the MLS Golden Boot was derailed by none other than Christian Benteke, the Premier League cult figure who wrapped up his disappointing Liverpool stint with a single-digit top-flight goal return.

Those memories of the 2024 season have been well and truly put to rest as Messi claimed a second consecutive top scorer award after netting 26 league goals for Inter Miami this season. Only five other players in the 30-year history of MLS have ever won two Golden Boots, yet none can match Messi's achievement of doing so in back-to-back years.

Remarkably, there is even more history within his reach.

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Count 'em up. 📈

All 26 goals from Messi's Golden Boot winning season. ✨@InterMiamiCF // Golden Boot pres. by Audi pic.twitter.com/yqK9MjjwKB

Messi also became just the second player in league history to surpass the benchmark of 25-plus goals in back-to-back MLS seasons, tallying 26 this campaign after his 29 the previous year.

Inter Miami's skipper also contributed another six to his overall total during last season's victorious playoff run, a charge he will be eager to replicate during a crucial final stretch of the year.

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Messi Has Plenty More History to Write in 2026

Lionel Messi. Football's finest storyteller. pic.twitter.com/cLoXWuDTJk

The Golden Boot is unlikely to be the last individual accolade Messi picks up this year. The two-time MVP is the clear frontrunner to claim a third consecutive crown off the back of yet another commanding domestic campaign. The newly unveiled Ballon d'Or saw the 39-year-old ranked as the fifth best player in the world over the past 12 months — and the four names ahead of him do not compete in MLS.

The Most Valuable Player award bears the name of U.S. men's national team joint-record scorer Landon Donovan, yet the former LA Galaxy icon only claimed the honor once, back in 2009. In fact, Messi is currently one of just two players to have stood above their MLS peers on multiple occasions, sharing that distinction with former Kansas City Wizards forward Predrag Radosavljević, widely known as Preki. No player has ever won three MLS MVPs.

Donovan still holds an edge over Messi in one department, boasting four MLS Cup titles compared to the Argentine's sole triumph last year. The Galaxy famously claimed back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012, a rare achievement that Inter Miami are now chasing themselves.

Only three franchises have ever successfully defended their title, and none have done so since Donovan's Galaxy side, which also featured David Beckham and prolific Premier League veteran Robbie Keane.

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Miami boast a similarly star-studded squad, but there has been considerable upheaval since last year's championship.

Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba both hung up their boots after lifting the Philip F. Anschutz trophy against the Vancouver Whitecaps, leaving Messi and Luis Suárez as the remaining members of the Barcelona contingent embedded in Miami. Former Manchester United and Real Madrid star Casemiro was brought in midseason, but it has been a turbulent year for the Herons, who have cycled through three coaches and two stadiums.

Yet, when the one constant is Lionel Messi, there's always a solid chance things will fall into place.