Lionel Messi closed out his debut MLS regular season in style, netting a brilliant hat-trick in Inter Miami's emphatic 5–2 away win over Nashville SC. The Argentine icon was in imperious form, carving open the defense and could’ve easily doubled his tally on the night.

With that treble, Messi finishes the season with 29 goals, comfortably claiming the MLS Golden Boot. Remarkably, despite leading the scoring charts, he ranks only fifth in the league for expected goals (xG – 20.4), underlining his elite finishing and footballing IQ.

And it wasn’t just goals. Messi also registered his 19th assist of the season, bringing his total direct goal contributions to a staggering 48 — just one shy of Carlos Vela’s all-time record of 49 set in 2019.

With the regular season wrapped up, all eyes now turn to the playoffs. In a twist of fate, Inter Miami will once again face Nashville SC in the first round of the Eastern Conference.