Lionel Messi closed the 2026 MLS regular season with a piece of history no one else in the league owns: a second consecutive Golden Boot. The 39-year-old Inter Miami captain is the first player ever to win the scoring title in back-to-back seasons.

Messi didn't score on Decision Day — Inter Miami played out a wild 3-3 draw with Charlotte FC on Saturday — but his 26 goals were enough to hold off the field and secure the award in his fourth MLS campaign.

The repeat caps another dominant individual year for the Argentine, who has reshaped the league's competitive and commercial landscape since arriving in South Florida. That a player would still be setting scoring benchmarks at 39, in a league where no one had ever defended the Golden Boot, underlines how far ahead of the pack he remains.

Attention now shifts to the playoffs, where Inter Miami will look to convert Messi's regular-season production into a deeper postseason run.