Hat trick crowns Golden Boot as Miami locks third place

Inter Miami’s skipper closed MLS Decision Day with a chapeau instrumentality and an assistance successful a 5–2 triumph astatine Nashville SC, clinching the 2025 Golden Boot. He finished the regular play with 29 goals successful 28 matches—more than immoderate different subordinate this twelvemonth and down lone Carlos Vela (34), Josef Martínez (31), and Zlatan Ibrahimović (30) connected the single-season list. He besides led the league with 19 assists, leaving him connected 48 extremity contributions, 1 shy of Vela’s MLS grounds of 49.

“It’s truthful evident that helium gives america an vantage each night,” defender Ian Fray said. “There aren’t capable words to accidental astir him.”

How the goals arrived—and what comes next

The opener came successful the 35th infinitesimal from the apical of the box. A 63rd-minute punishment made it 2–2. The 3rd arrived connected a left-footed decorativeness from the halfway of the country successful the 81st, pushing Miami up 4–2 earlier helium acceptable up Telasco Segovia successful stoppage time. It was his 2nd MLS chapeau trick; the archetypal came connected the last time of the 2024 play against New England.

The surge lifted Inter Miami to 3rd successful the Eastern Conference and secured home-field vantage successful the archetypal round. The hostile is Nashville again successful a best-of-three series. The caput manager said Game 1 volition beryllium Friday, with the league acceptable to corroborate the docket connected Sunday.

MVP statement tilts 1 way

Team unit person argued that the skipper has done capable to repetition arsenic league MVP aft winning successful 2024 with 20 goals and 16 assists portion starring Miami to the Supporters’ Shield. “Well, what tin I accidental astir Leo? The information is, well, contiguous helium was exceptional, arsenic helium usually is,” the manager said. “Clearly, I deliberation if anyone had immoderate doubts astir what his regular play was like, the world is that he’s cleared immoderate doubts. They’ll surely springiness him the MVP grant for everything he’s shown.”