Lionel Messi Clinches First MLS Golden Boot as Inter Miami Eyes Playoffs

Lionel Messi left no doubt on Decision Day.

The Argentine icon scored a hat trick in a 5-2 victory over Nashville on Saturday night to wrap up Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot award with 29 goals this season.

Inter Miami finished third in the Eastern Conference standings and will again face sixth-seeded Nashville starting Friday in the best-of-three opening round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

Saturday was the league’s traditional Decision Day, the final day of the regular season when the two conferences each played games simultaneously with playoff spots and seeding on the line.

“The truth is that Leo has been exceptional, as he usually is. I think if anyone had doubts about his regular season, he has cleared them all. He will surely be awarded the MVP,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said after the game.

The Philadelphia Union had already clinched the top spot in the East and claimed the league’s Supporters’ Shield with a 1-0 victory over NYCFC on Oct. 4. Philadelphia also secured home field advantage throughout the playoffs and a spot in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The Union will play the winner of Wednesday’s wild-card match between the eighth-place Chicago Fire and ninth place Orlando City in the best-of-three first-round playoff series. The Fire secured their first playoff spot since 2017 under first-year head coach Gregg Berhalter, the former U.S. men’s national team coach.

All off the East’s playoff spots had already been claimed but Saturday’s games determined playoff matchups. In addition to the first-round series between Inter Miami and Nashville, second-seeded Cincinnati plays No. 7 Columbus and No. 4 Charlotte meets No. 5 NYCFC. The higher seed gets home field advantage.

“What a great opportunity we get to play a rival in the playoffs and meaningful games in a best of three,” Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan said. “If you don’t get excited about that and those opportunities, on top of being a playoff team and playing in front of our fans in the first game, there’s something missing there.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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