MLS Decision Day: Messi wins a second straight Golden Boot as Nashville break the points record on 77
Lionel Messi won the MLS Golden Boot for a second straight season — the first player to win it in consecutive years — finishing on 26 goals as Inter Miami drew 3–3 with Charlotte FC on Saturday 7 November 2026 after leading 3–0. Nashville SC beat FC Cincinnati 2–0 through two Sam Surridge goals to finish on 77 points, breaking the MLS single-season record of 74 set by Miami in 2024. Miami took second place in the Eastern Conference on 60 points and meet Columbus Crew in the playoffs' first round.
Key points
- Messi's 26 goals made him the first player to win the MLS Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.
- Nashville's 2–0 win at Cincinnati took them to a record 77 points, breaking Miami's 74 from 2024.
- Miami led Charlotte 3–0 and drew 3–3, still holding second place on 60 points.
- The playoffs begin with wild-card matches on 19 November; Nashville await the Orlando–Cincinnati winner.
What happened
All 30 MLS clubs played on Decision Day, the regular season's final day. Nashville had already wrapped up the Supporters' Shield; the points record was the day's open question, and Surridge's second-half brace settled it at the home of the club whose record they took. Full-time banter: Miami led 3–0 at home and still needed the final whistle — Charlotte's three-goal comeback was the day's loudest draw.
Claim by claim
Why this label: Reuters' report of the league's award and the Guardian's Decision Day report agree on the tally, the runners-up and the back-to-back first; Musa failed to score in Dallas's 3–1 win over Colorado, settling second place.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The league's own record page and FC Cincinnati's match recap agree on the score, the scorers, the 77 points and the record broken.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Why this label: The Guardian's report of the match and the final standings; Columbus took seventh place with a late 4–3 win at Chicago to avoid the wild-card round.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
Show all claims (1 more)
Why this label: The dates and Nashville's pairing are USA Today's Decision Day account and the league's own record report, in agreement.
On the ladder: a claim earns Verified from primary evidence, or from two independent sources that do not copy each other.
What we know / what we don't know yet
What we know
- The Golden Boot tally, the points record, the Decision Day scores behind them and the first-round pairings, from the league and two reports in agreement.
What we don't know yet
- The full playoff schedule beyond the opening dates — the league publishes series dates round by round.
Why it matters
Two league records closed the regular season on one day: the greatest player of his era added a back-to-back scoring title no one had managed, and Nashville produced the most dominant regular season in MLS history — the standard the playoffs now have to beat.
Update history
No silent edits. Every change is written here, with its time.
- Latest
Published. Basis: the league's own record page, with Reuters and the Guardian in agreement.