Lionel Messi delivered another unforgettable performance on MLS Decision Day, scoring a brilliant hat-trick and providing an assist as Inter Miami CF crushed Nashville SC 5-2 on October 18, 2025.
The victory not only sealed Miami's third-place finish in the Eastern Conference but also secured Messi his first MLS Golden Boot award, capping a record-setting season for both the player and his club.
Messi's Hat-Trick and Match Dominance
At Geodis Park, Messi opened the scoring with a trademark curling shot in the 35th minute before Nashville turned the game around through Sam Surridge and Jacob Shaffelburg to lead 2-1 at halftime. In the second half, Messi's penalty in the 63rd minute restored parity, and just minutes later, Baltasar RodrÍguez's strike put Miami ahead. The Argentine maestro
completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute with another sublime finish before assisting Telasco Segovia's stoppage-time goal to cap the emphatic 5-2 win.
Golden Boot Glory and Historic Numbers
Messi ended the regular season with 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 matches, giving him 48 goal contributions - just one shy of Carlos Vela's MLS record of 49 in 2019.
He surpassed LAFC's Denis Bouanga and Nashville's Sam Surridge (both with 24 goals) to capture the 2025 MLS Golden Boot.
In doing so, he became Inter Miami's first-ever Golden Boot winner and the first Argentine to win it since ValentÍn Castellanos in 2021.
Twenty-eight of Messi's 29 goals came from open play - the most in a single MLS season in league history. His 1.03 goals-per-game average ranks second only to Carlos Vela's 1.10 from 2019 among Golden Boot winners since 2005.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also became the league leader in assists and is poised to claim his second consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP title following an already historic 2024 season when he led Miami to the Supporters' Shield.
Inter Miami now enters the playoffs as the No. 3 seed and will face No. 6 Nashville again in the Round One best-of-three series.
