NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BN24) — Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi struck a hat trick on the final day of MLS’ regular season Saturday to all but clinch the 2025 MLS Golden Boot award, leading his team to a 5-2 victory over Nashville SC.
Messi’s three goals, along with an assist, took the Argentina forward to twenty-nine goals in just twenty-eight regular-season matches. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is now almost certain to finish as MLS’ top scorer for the first time since joining Inter Miami in July 2023.
His nearest challenger, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga, is five goals back and would need six goals against Colorado later Saturday to take the award. Messi also leads the league in assists, which is the first tiebreaker for the Golden Boot.
Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge is currently tied for second on twenty-four goals after scoring against Miami on Saturday.
Only three players have scored more goals in a single MLS regular season than Messi: Carlos Vela with thirty-four, Josef MartÃnez with thirty-one and Zlatan Ibrahimovic with thirty.
With nineteen assists along with his twenty-nine goals, Messi finished one shy of Vela’s MLS record of forty-nine goal contributions in a single regular season.
Messi’s contributions propelled Inter Miami to third place in the Eastern Conference, securing home-field advantage for the playoffs. The team will face Nashville again in the first round of the 2025 MLS playoffs.
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano has insisted Messi has done more than enough on the field to earn the 2025 MLS MVP award, which would make him the first player to win the trophy on two consecutive occasions.
“Well, what can I say about Leo? The truth is, well, today he was exceptional, as he usually is,” Mascherano said in his postgame news conference. “Clearly, I think if anyone had any doubts about what his regular season was like, the reality is that he’s cleared any doubts. They’ll surely give him the MVP award for everything he’s shown.”
“Talking about the three goals he scored, well, happy for him because he helped us win the game again,” Mascherano added.
Messi won the 2024 MLS MVP trophy after recording twenty goals and sixteen assists to inspire Inter Miami to the Supporters’ Shield and break the league record for most points recorded in a single season.
Saturday’s hat trick was Messi’s second in MLS. His first came in Inter Miami’s 6-2 win over the New England Revolution on October 19, 2024, on the final day of last year’s regular season. It was the nineteenth hat trick scored in the 2025 MLS season.
He scored his first goal of the game from the top of the box in the thirty-fifth minute to give Inter Miami a 1-0 lead. Messi was awarded a penalty kick in the sixty-third minute and scored to tie the game 2-2.
He completed the hat trick in the eighty-first minute, scoring from the center of the box on a left-footed shot and extending Inter Miami’s lead to 4-2.
Messi also had a late assist for Telasco Segovia to score Miami’s fifth and final goal of the night in stoppage time.
The performance showcased Messi’s continued dominance in Major League Soccer despite being thirty-eight years old. His ability to score from multiple positions and situations demonstrated the versatility that has defined his legendary career.
Messi’s regular season performance has far exceeded expectations since his arrival in Miami. His impact extends beyond statistics, elevating the profile of MLS internationally and driving record attendance and television viewership.
The hat trick against Nashville provides momentum heading into the playoffs, where Inter Miami will aim to capture the MLS Cup after winning the Supporters’ Shield in 2024. The rematch with Nashville in the first round will test whether Miami can maintain its form in the postseason.
Messi’s pursuit of consecutive MVP awards would be historic for MLS. The league has never had a player win the honor in back-to-back seasons, reflecting the difficulty of sustaining elite performance in the demanding MLS schedule.
With home-field advantage secured for the playoffs, Inter Miami enters the postseason as one of the favorites to win the championship. Messi’s goal-scoring prowess gives the team a significant advantage in knockout competition where individual brilliance can determine outcomes.
The Argentina captain’s success in MLS has validated the league’s growing stature as a destination for elite talent. His presence has attracted other high-profile players to consider MLS as a viable option during their prime years rather than only at the end of their careers.
