Inter Miami’s captain, Lionel Messi, completed the 2025 MLS regular season by scoring a hat trick on Saturday, securing the MLS Golden Boot award with a total of 29 goals in just 28 matches. This decisive performance helped Miami achieve a 5-2 victory against Nashville SC.
Alongside his three goals, Messi also provided an assist in the match, seeing him finish the season as the league’s top scorer for the first time. His closest competitors were Denis Bouanga</ of LAFC and Sam Surridge from Nashville SC, who both ended the season with 24 goals.
Messi’s total of 29 goals places him among an exclusive group, as only three players have netted more in a single MLS regular season: Carlos Vela (34), Josef Martínez (31), and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (30).
In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Messi also led the league with 19 assists, finishing just one shy of Vela’s record of 49 total goal contributions in a single season.
Defender Ian Fray remarked on Messi’s impact, saying, “It’s so obvious that he gives us an advantage every night. There aren’t enough words to say about him.”
Messi’s outstanding performance also contributed to Inter Miami finishing third in the Eastern Conference, providing them with home-field advantage for the upcoming playoffs. They will once again face Nashville in the first round.
Head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed that the first game of the playoff series is scheduled for Friday, with the official timeline set to be announced by MLS on Sunday.
Mascherano further emphasized Messi’s contributions, stating, “He has done more than enough on the field to earn the 2025 MLS MVP award, making him the first player to win consecutively.” He praised Messi’s exceptional play, insisting that any doubts regarding his performance this season had been dispelled.
Previously, Messi earned the 2024 MLS MVP trophy with 20 goals and 16 assists, leading Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield and setting a league record for the most points in a single season.
Saturday’s hat trick marked Messi’s second in MLS; his first occurred during Inter Miami’s 6-2 victory over the New England Revolution on the last day of the 2024 regular season.
Messi opened the scoring against Nashville in the 35th minute from outside the box, followed by a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to equalize at 2-2. He completed his hat trick with a left-footed shot inside the box in the 81st minute, extending the lead to 4-2. He also assisted Telasco Segovia in stoppage time for Miami’s final goal of the match.
This report also includes information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press.