Messi Chases Second MLS Golden Boot on Decision Day

Lionel Messi enters the final regular-season round four goals ahead of Petar Musa in the race for the MLS Golden Boot.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Soccer

Messi Chases Second MLS Golden Boot on Decision Day

Lionel Messi has 26 goals heading into MLS Decision Day on Saturday, November 7, 2026, four ahead of Petar Musa. A win for Messi would make him the sixth two-time MLS Golden Boot winner and the first to retain the award.

Why it matters

The Golden Boot race will be settled by goals scored in the final round, and no player in MLS history has won the award in consecutive seasons. Messi's bid would mark a distinct milestone in the league's scoring history.

Messi won his first Golden Boot in 2025 with 29 goals, and five players in MLS history have won the award more than once, none in consecutive seasons. The Golden Boot will be determined by goals scored in Saturday's final round, with the outcome not yet known.

The players

Lionel Messi

Argentine forward who plays for Inter Miami and is widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time.

Petar Musa

Forward for FC Dallas who trails Messi by four goals in the Golden Boot race.

The details

Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, while FC Dallas hosts Colorado Rapids at 7 p.m. ET, with Musa's match starting three hours after Messi's. Messi could extend his lead before Musa takes the field.

2025: Messi claimed his first MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: MLS Decision Day final regular-season round.
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET: Inter Miami hosts Charlotte FC.
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET: FC Dallas hosts Colorado Rapids.

Season Trajectory

No player among the five MLS multiple Golden Boot winners, including Preki, Taylor Twellman, Jeff Cunningham, Chris Wondolowski and Bradley Wright-Phillips, has won the award in consecutive seasons. A Messi win would break that pattern and place him among the league's most prolific scorers.

Fantasy managers and MLS followers will see Golden Boot standings settled on Saturday's final scoring results. Musa's match begins three hours after Messi's, so the scoring picture may be partly clear before the second game kicks off.

The takeaway

Messi's chase is a reminder that the MLS Golden Boot has rarely gone to the same scorer twice in a row, making Decision Day's final goals especially consequential for the award.

What happens next

MLS Decision Day takes place Saturday, November 7, 2026, with Inter Miami hosting Charlotte FC at 4 p.m. ET and FC Dallas hosting Colorado Rapids at 7 p.m. ET.