Lionel Messi breaks historic Argentine record after winning the Golden Boot in his ninth career with Inter Miami

Lionel Messi has made history again and secured the Major League Soccer Golden Boot InterMiami in 2025, adding another prestigious award to his storied career. In addition to being recognized as the league’s top scorer, the attacker has now ended a long-term relationship Argentina file.

With a brace against Atlanta United and a hat trick against Nashville on Saturday evening, Messi retreated into the scoring race to top the charts with 29 goals in the 2025 MLS season. The Argentinian defeated LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge, both with 24 goals, to claim the prize.

By capturing the MLS Golden Boot, Lionel Messi has become the Argentinian player with the most top scorer titles in the first division. The winger previously won eight Golden Boots in La Liga with Barcelona and has now added a ninth in another competition, Major League Soccer.

After scoring 30 goals in the 2020/21 La Liga season, Messi claimed his eighth Golden Boot in a top competition. At that time he was linked with three other Argentine legends: Atilio Garcia (eight Golden Boots in Uruguay’s first division), Alfredo di Stefano (one in Argentina, two in Colombia and five in Spain), and Carlos Bianchi (three in Argentina, five in France).

Since leaving Barcelona in 2021, Messi has struggled to challenge for the Golden Boots, first at PSG where he scored six goals in his debut season and 16 in his second. In his first full MLS campaign in 2024 the Argentinian scored 21 goals but finished behind Christian Benteke, who led the league with 23. Now, in 2025, Messi stands alone among Argentina’s greats as the only player to have won nine Golden Boots.

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Lionel Messi scores 48 goals for Inter Miami: did he just surpass Carlos Vela’s MLS record?

Messi’s nine Golden Boots: a breakdown

As the second highest goalscorer in football history, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi has cemented his status not only as an elite playmaker, but also as one of the most prolific finishers the game has ever seen. His consistency and precision have earned him six European Golden Shoes and nine top scorer titles in his career.

Messi’s seasons as league and European Golden Boot winner are as follows:

• La Liga season 2009/10 (FC Barcelona): 34 goals.
• La Liga season 2011/12 (FC Barcelona): 50 goals.
• La Liga season 2012/13 (FC Barcelona): 46 goals.
• La Liga season 2016/17 (FC Barcelona): 37 goals.
• La Liga season 2017/18 (FC Barcelona): 34 goals.
• La Liga season 2018/19 (FC Barcelona): 36 goals.

Messi also claimed the Spanish Pichichi Trophy in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 La Liga seasons, but narrowly missed out on the European Golden Boot. In 2019-2020, his 25 goals fell short Ciro Immobile from Serie Awho scored 36. The following year Messi scored 30, finished behind Robert Lewandowski’s 41 in the Bundesliga.

Now, after scoring 29 goals in the 2025 MLS season, Messi has conquered another league, in this case with InterMiamifurther extending his scoring legacy and reaffirming his place among the greatest players in football history.