Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber presented Lionel Messi with the 2025 Golden Boot award before the first game of the Round 1 series between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, declaring the forward had reset the trajectory for MLS.

Messi clinched the Golden Boot by scoring 29 goals in 28 games, earning the award for the first time since joining Inter Miami in 2023.

“I’m here tonight not just to attend the game but to present Leo with the Golden Boot,” Garber said. “I don’t think we ever could have imagined that Leo would have been able to deliver for this club, for this city and for this league the way he had.”

The presentation of the award comes just hours after Inter Miami announced Messi signed a three-year contract extension with the club, keeping him in South Florida through the 2028 season.

“He has reset the trajectory for Major League Soccer, and we were already doing pretty well. And I think having three more years is just going to be another gift,” Garber said.

“Hopefully, it’s the gift that keeps on giving. It’s been just a thrill to watch him play and to see how happy he is here in Miami and here in the United States.”

Messi, the heavy favorite to win his second consecutive league MVP honor, also finished as the co-league leader in assists with 19.

When Messi joined Inter Miami in July 2023, he quickly inspiring the club to win that year’s inaugural Leagues Cup trophy before clinching the 2024 Supporters’ Shield and setting the league record for most points recorded in a single season.

Individually, Messi earned the 2024 MVP award and is currently a finalist for the 2025 edition of the award. Should Messi win the 2025 MVP trophy, he would become the first ever MLS player to clinch the accolade on two consecutive occasions.