Messi wins 2026 MLS Golden Boot!
Messi
Washington, Nov 7 (EFE).-
Lionel Messi won his second consecutive Major League Soccer Golden Boot on Saturday after finishing the regular season with 26 goals, while Nashville set a new points record with 77 points.
MLS had its 34th and final matchday of the regular season on Saturday, which determined the playoff positions, set to begin on Nov. 19.
Nashville, the Supporters’ Shield champion, finished atop the Eastern Conference with 77 points, surpassing Inter Miami’s 2024 record of 74. Vancouver Whitecaps finished first in the West.
Nashville defeated Cincinnati 2-0 on Saturday with a brace from English striker Sam Surridge, while Vancouver achieved the same result in Montreal with goals from Senegalese striker Cheikh Sabaly and Moldovan striker Mihail Gherasimencov.
Meanwhile, Inter Miami, who finished second in the Eastern Conference, let a 3-0 lead (goals from Ian Fray, Luis Suárez, and Rodrigo de Paul) slip away in the first half, ultimately drawing 3-3 against Charlotte.
Messi didn’t find the net on Saturday at Nu Stadium in Miami, but still secured the Golden Boot for the second consecutive year with 26 goals. Petar Musa of Dallas finished second with 22, followed by Surridge (21).
Inter Miami will face Columbus Crew in the first round of the playoffs. Columbus Crew secured the final playoff spot after defeating Chicago Fire 4-3 with a goal from Brais Méndez in the 93rd minute. Dallas finished second in the Western Conference, defeating Colorado 3-1 on Saturday with goals from Joaquín Valiente, Kaick, and Santiago Moreno.
In other matches on the final day, Antoine Griezmann’s Orlando City defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 with a goal from Paraguayan Braian Ojeda and will play Cincinnati in the play-in tournament. The winner of that match will face Nashville in the first round.
Real Salt Lake defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 with a goal from Catalan Sergi Solans, his fifteenth of the season. The Utah team will play the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference play-in tournament, who also won 2-1 against LAFC. EFE
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