Messi's hat trick all-but clinches MLS Golden Boot

Inter Miami skipper Lionel Messi struck a chapeau instrumentality connected the last time of MLS' regular play to all-but clinch the 2025 MLS Golden Boot grant and necktie the league grounds for astir extremity contributions successful a azygous regular season.

Messi's 3 goals, on with 3 assists, helped Miami to a 5-2 triumph astatine Nashville SC and took the Argentina guardant to 29 goals successful conscionable 28 regular play matches.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or victor is present astir definite to decorativeness arsenic MLS' apical scorer for the archetypal clip since joining Inter Miami successful July 2023.

- Messi tracker: All goals, assists, cardinal moments

His nearest challenger, LAFC's Denis Bounaga, is 5 goals backmost and would request six goals against Colorado aboriginal connected Saturday to instrumentality the award. Messi besides leads the league successful assists, which is the archetypal tiebreaker for the Golden Boot.

Nashville SC's Sam Surridge is presently tied for 2nd connected 24 goals aft scoring against Miami connected Saturday.

Only 3 players -- Carlos Vela (34), Josef Martínez (31) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (30) -- person scored much goals successful a azygous MLS regular play than Messi.

Beyond the 29 goals for Inter Miami, Messi besides recorded a league-high 20 assists to necktie Vela's MLS grounds of 48 goals contributions successful a azygous regular season.

Messi's contributions propelled Inter Miami to 3rd spot connected the Eastern Conference table, securing homefield vantage for the playoffs.

Inter Miami caput manager Javier Mascherano insists Messi has done much than capable connected the tract to gain the 2025 MLS MVP award, which would marque him the archetypal ever subordinate to triumph the trophy connected 2 consecutive occasions.

"There is nary benignant of uncertainty [that Messi is the MVP of the league]. Even with the disadvantage of playing little games than others, it's the power he's had connected this team," Mascherano said Friday.

"Measuring Messi lone connected the statistics, which you tin do, he's the champion but helium goes beyond the numbers. He reflects connected the tract the value helium has successful this team, and what helium does to marque everyone who watches him bask it."

Messi won the 2024 MLS MVP trophy, aft signaling 20 goals and 16 assists to animate Inter Miami to the Supporters' Shield and interruption the league grounds for astir points recorded successful a azygous season.

The squad volition present look Nashville again successful the archetypal circular of the 2025 MLS playoffs.