A few days after finishing fifth in the 2026 Ballon d'Or, Lionel Messi once again made history in world football.

At the age of 39, the Inter Miami captain officially clinched the 2026 MLS Golden Boot following the conclusion of the competition’s regular season.

He even became the first player in the history of the North American league to win the top scorer title in consecutive seasons.

Top-class strikers such as Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović have graced American football, but none managed to retain the top scorer’s crown in successive seasons.

Messi broke that barrier with relentless consistency and added yet another individual record to his incredible professional career.

The double goalscoring title

The record holder for the most Ballon d'Ors demonstrated his class in Major League Soccer and secured his second consecutive Golden Boot with impressive statistics:

  • 2025 MLS Golden Boot: 29 goals in 28 matches

  • MLS Golden Boot 2026: 26 goals in 31 matches

In total, he scored 55 goals in 59 regular-season appearances over the past two years and was the driving force behind Inter Miami’s attack.

Indeed, thanks to his goal-scoring contributions, the Florida-based side were crowned MLS champions for the first time in their history in the 2025 season.

All of Lionel Messi’s top scorer awards

Over two decades at the very top of world football, Messi has been crowned top scorer in the world’s most demanding competitions on 24 occasions:

In Major League Soccer (2):

  • 2025: MLS Golden Boot (29 goals)

  • 2026: MLS Golden Boot (26 goals)

In Europe (6):

  • 2009/10: European Golden Boot (34 goals)

  • 2011/12: European Golden Boot (50 goals)

  • 2012/13: European Golden Boot (46 goals)

  • 2016/17: European Golden Boot (37 goals)

  • 2017/18: European Golden Boot (34 goals)

  • 2018/19: European Golden Boot (36 goals)

In La Liga (8):

  • 2009/10: Top scorer (34 goals)

  • 2011/12: Top scorer (50 goals)

  • 2012/13: Top scorer (46 goals)

  • 2016/17: Top scorer (37 goals)

  • 2017/18: Top scorer (34 goals)

  • 2018/19: Top scorer (36 goals)

  • 2019/20: Top scorer (25 goals)

  • 2020/21: Top scorer (30 goals)

In the UEFA Champions League (6):

  • 2008/09: Champions League top scorer (9 goals)

  • 2009/10: Champions League top scorer (8 goals)

  • 2010/11: Champions League top scorer (12 goals)

  • 2011/12: Champions League top scorer (14 goals)

  • 2014/15: Champions League top scorer (10 goals)

  • 2018/19: Champions League top scorer (12 goals)

In international cups and tournaments (2):

  • 2021: Copa América Golden Boot (4 goals)

  • 2023: Leagues Cup top scorer (10 goals)

With 24 top scorer honours across the globe, Lionel Messi is once again defying the logic of time.

A new milestone for an unrivalled trophy cabinet that confirms his goal-scoring instinct has no expiry date.