Overview
- Messi finished the 2026 MLS regular season with 26 goals in 31 appearances and 17 assists for 43 goal contributions, totals that won him the Golden Boot confirmed in early November.
- He became the first player in MLS history to win the league scoring title in consecutive seasons.
- Messi did not receive any MLS Player of the Month awards in 2026, and Orlando City’s Antoine Griezmann was named the October/November Player of the Month.
- The MVP vote is still unresolved with Messi viewed as the favorite on the strength of his full-season numbers while Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar is presented as the principal challenger.
- The Golden Boot raises Messi’s career total to 10 domestic league scoring titles versus Cristiano Ronaldo’s seven and adds urgency to the playoffs and the ongoing chase toward 1,000 career goals.