Messi gets Golden Boot, scores brace in Miami win

After raising the MLS Golden Boot trophy, Lionel Messi guided Inter Miami CF to a resounding 3-1 victory over Nashville SC, scoring two goals in the Major League Soccer playoffs opener on Friday night.

Before the match, MLS commissioner Don Garber presented the Argentina star with the 2025 Golden Boot award, declaring the forward had reset the trajectory for the league.

Messi clinched the Golden Boot by scoring 29 goals in 28 games, earning the award for the first time since joining Inter Miami in 2023.

"I'm here tonight not just to attend the game but to present Leo with the Golden Boot," Garber said. "I don't think we ever could have imagined that Leo would have been able to deliver for this club, for this city and for this league the way he had."

The presentation of the award comes a day after Inter Miami announced Messi signed a three-year contract extension with the club, keeping him in South Florida through the 2028 season.

"He has reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer, and we were already doing pretty well. And I think having three more years is just going to be another gift," Garber said.

"Hopefully, it's the gift that keeps on giving. It's been just a thrill to watch him play and to see how happy he is here in Miami and here in the United States."

Messi, the heavy favorite to win his second consecutive league MVP honor, also finished as the co-league leader in assists with 19.

When Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, he quickly inspired the club to win that year's inaugural Leagues Cup trophy before clinching the 2024 Supporters' Shield and setting the MLS record for most points recorded in a single season.

Individually, Messi earned the 2024 MVP award and is a finalist for the 2025 edition. Should Messi win the award, he will become the first MLS player to clinch it on two consecutive occasions.