2025 MLS top goalscorer confirmed - where did Lionel Messi finish?

Martin Macdonald

• 20 Oct 2025 07:15 CDT
• 2 min read

News

Major League Soccer's Regular Season has concluded for 2025 with Philadelphia Union winning the Eastern Conference and San Diego FC winning the Western Conference.

The MLS Playoffs will commence on 20 October.

In terms of individual accolades, Lionel Messi is officially the MLS top goalscorer for 2025 with 29 goals from 28 matches played.

He beat LAFC's Denis Bouanga and Nashville's Sam Surridge, both of whom finished the Regular Season campaign with 24 goals each.

Incredibly, no player beat Messi's tally of 19 assists, either. He finished on 19, the same amount recorded by Anders Dreyer of San Diego.

Since 2005, the MLS Golden Boot has been awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the Regular Season, with ties decided via the player with the most assists.

From 1996 to 2004, the award was given via a points-based system as players were awarded two points for a goal and one point for an assist. In that time, the accolade was known as the MLS Scoring Champion Award.

Messi's contract with Inter Miami expires at the end of 2025 but speculation is mounting that he will sign an extended deal with the club.

The 38-year-old has been locked in contract extension talks for months and a conclusion is close to being finalised, according to football transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano.

He posted on X: “ Leo Messi closes regular season with Inter Miami at 48 G/A and talks over new contract remain at very advanced stages.

“Messi, expected to stay and sign new deal at the club with final details being sorted as he’s fully focused on Inter Miami project.”

List of MLS Golden Boot winners

The greatest goalscorer in the history of Major League Soccer is Chris Wondolowski with 171 goals. He won the Golden Boot twice in 2010 and 2012.

The record for most goals scored in a single MLS season is held by Carlos Vela, who struck 34 times for LA Galaxy in 2019.