Lionel Messi has added another remarkable achievement to his growing MLS legacy, putting his name alongside Denis Bouanga in a statistical club that contains only two players. The Inter Miami captain reached another major goalscoring milestone against San Diego FC, and the latest entry in the record books underlines just how consistently he has performed since arriving in the United States.
Messi scored in Inter Miami’s 2-2 draw with San Diego FC, curling a free kick into the net during Matchday 27. The goal took him to 20 MLS goals in 2026, while also extending his extraordinary run of production since moving away from European soccer.
The Argentine’s latest goal came shortly after another major moment in his Inter Miami career. Just days earlier, Messi scored his 100th goal for the club in all competitions during a 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul in the 2026 Campeones Cup.
His free kick against San Diego then moved him to 101 goals for Inter Miami, accompanied by 58 assists in 116 appearances across all competitions. The 39-year-old has continued to produce at a remarkable level despite being well into the latter stages of his career.
The latest strike was also Messi’s 75th career free-kick goal, putting him second among players in soccer history for goals from direct free kicks. More importantly for his MLS record, it brought him to another 20-goal season.
Messi joins Bouanga in an exclusive MLS club
That 20th goal revealed the significance of what Messi had accomplished. He became only the second player in MLS history to score 20 or more goals in three consecutive regular seasons, joining LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. The Gabonese achieved the feat first, scoring 20 goals in 2023, 20 in 2024, and 24 in 2025.
Messi has now matched him after recording 20 goals in 2024, 29 in 2025, and 20 so far in 2026. It is an especially impressive achievement considering the Argentine’s first partial MLS season. After joining Inter Miami in July 2023, he scored only one regular-season goal in six appearances before exploding into life over the following three campaigns.
| Player | 2023 Season | 2024 Season | 2025 Season | 2026 Season |
| Denis Bouanga | 20 goals | 20 goals | 24 goals | 13 goals |
| Lionel Messi | — | 21 goals | 35 goals | 20 goals |
Bouanga deserves plenty of credit for establishing the record before Messi joined him. The LAFC forward became the first MLS player to produce three consecutive 20-goal regular seasons, beginning with his Golden Boot-winning campaign in 2023. His numbers remained remarkably consistent, with 20 goals in 2024 and 24 in 2025.
The 31-year-old forward has continued to score in 2026 as well, although his current campaign is still ongoing. The achievement places the two forwards in rare territory. While several MLS stars have produced individual 20-goal seasons, maintaining that level for three consecutive campaigns requires an entirely different level of consistency.
Denis Bouanga #99 of Los Angeles Football Club shoots and scores against Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.
Messi’s MLS numbers have been extraordinary
Messi’s production since his first full MLS season has been remarkable. He scored 20 goals and 16 assists in 19 games in 2024, followed by 29 goals and 19 assists in 28 appearances in 2025. His 2026 campaign is already approaching those levels, with 20 goals and 13 assists in 23 matches.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami.
That gives Messi 33 goal contributions, putting him at the top of the league’s goalscoring charts while also making him one of its leading creators. The consistency is particularly striking because Messi has continued to combine goalscoring with playmaking. Across his Inter Miami career, his ability to create for teammates has remained just as important as his finishing.
