Lionel Messi reached 26 MLS goals after Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over New England Revolution on November 2, SGGP reported. With one regular-season round remaining, he leads Petar Musa by four goals and Brian White by six.
Advantage before Charlotte meeting
Musa has 22 goals and White 20 at the reporting point. The gap favours Messi but does not constitute an award decision before the programme is complete.
Inter Miami face Charlotte on November 7 locally, equivalent to 4am on November 8 in Vietnam. That is Messi's next opportunity to add to his total before the scoring race concludes.
He won last season's Golden Boot with 29 goals in 28 appearances. This season's account records 26 from 33, figures covering separate campaigns and different numbers of matches.
Historic possibility and a coach’s view
SGGP says retaining the award would make him the first consecutive-season winner since MLS adopted its current goals-based system in 2005.
Coach Kily Gonzalez praised his captain's contribution and argued that he deserved further recognition as the league's most valuable player. That is the coach's opinion, rather than an announced MVP voting result.
Messi's MVP awards in 2024 and 2025 provide background. The next step is completing the Charlotte fixture and establishing this season's honours through the actual results and award process. Previous achievements and praise from the coaching staff do not automatically produce a new award.