Inter Miami’s Messi Wins 2025 MLS Golden Boot Presented By Audi

Inter Miami CF superstar Lionel Messi has won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi, netting 29 goals to become the league’s top scorer during his second full season with the Herons.

Messi added 19 assists as he beat out LAFC’s Denis Bouanga (24 goals) and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge (24 goals). He is Miami’s first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to take home the award since Valentín “Taty” Castellanos did so with New York City FC in 2021.

The iconic No. 10 tallied 3g/1a during Saturday’s 5-2 Decision Day victory at Nashville, giving him 48 goal contributions this year – narrowly shy of Carlos Vela’s MLS-record 49 for LAFC in 2019.

Now, Messi looks poised to become the league’s first-ever back-to-back Landon Donovan MLS MVP winner, following a historic 2024 campaign that helped Miami claim that year’s Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking fashion.

Messi and Miami are the Eastern Conference No. 3 seed in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, where they’ll face No. 6 Nashville in a Round One Best-of-3 Series. This year’s MLS Cup champion will be crowned on Dec. 6.

Messi, the most decorated soccer player of all time, now adds the MLS Golden Boot to his unmatched resumé. He’s the latest in an exclusive list of players who have clinched the honor since the league’s inaugural season in 1996.

From 1996-2004, the MLS Golden Boot was awarded under a points-based system that gave two points for a goal and one for an assist, before switching to outright goals. Check out the full list of winners below.

MLS Golden Boot winners 2005-2025 (outright goals)
2025: Lionel Messi, Miami – 29 goals
2024: Christian Benteke, D.C. – 23 goals
2023: Denis Bouanga, LAFC – 20 goals
2022: Hany Mukhtar, Nashville – 23 goals
2021: Taty Castellanos, NYCFC – 19 goals
2020: Diego Rossi, LAFC – 14 goals
2019: Carlos Vela, LAFC – 34 goals
2018: Josef Martínez, Atlanta – 31 goals
2017: Nemanja Nikolić, Chicago – 24 goals
2016: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York – 24 goals
2015: Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto – 22 goals
2014: Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York – 27 goals
2013: Camilo Sanvezzo, Vancouver – 22 goals
2012: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose – 27 goals
2011: Dwayne De Rosario, D.C. – 16 goals
2010: Chris Wondolowski, San Jose – 18 goals
2009: Jeff Cunningham, Dallas – 17 goals
2008: Landon Donovan, LA – 20 goals
2007: Luciano Emilio, D.C. – 20 goals
2006: Jeff Cunningham, Salt Lake – 16 goals
2005: Taylor Twellman, New England – 17 goals
MLS Golden Boot winners 1996-2004 (points-based system)
2004: Amado Guevara, Pat Noonan; MetroStars, New England – 30 points
2003: Preki, Kansas City – 41 points
2002: Taylor Twellman, New England – 52 points
2001: Alex Pineda Chacón, Miami – 47 points
2000: Mamadou Diallo, Tampa Bay – 56 points
1999: Jason Kreis, Dallas- 51 points
1998: Stern John, Columbus – 57 points
1997: Preki, Kansas City – 41 points
1996: Roy Lassiter, Tampa Bay- 58 points