FORT LAUDERDALE - Lionel Messi scored his 20th goal of the 2026 MLS regular season Sunday, curling home a free kick in Inter Miami CF’s 2-2 draw with San Diego FC to join Denis Bouanga in an elite tier of MLS scorers and extend his lead atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi standings.
The Argentine superstar now boasts a league-best 33 goal contributions, pacing MLS in both goals (20) and assists (13) across 23 appearances this season. The strike was his 101st goal for the defending MLS Cup presented by Audi champions across all competitions.
The milestone came days after Messi delivered a man-of-the-match performance in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup, scoring the 100th goal of his Miami career in a 2-0 victory over LIGA MX side Cruz Azul.
Since joining Inter Miami in July 2023 - a move that transformed North American soccer - Messi has been historically productive. He posted 1 goal and 2 assists in 6 games during his 2023 debut, followed by 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 games in 2024, then a career-best 29 goals and 19 assists across 28 games in 2025.
With eight regular-season games remaining, Messi is positioned to become the first three-time winner of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award. Inter Miami’s final regular-season matches will determine both his individual hardware case and the club’s postseason seeding.