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Lionel Messi isn't the MLS's leading scorer: who tops the table?
Mar 15 2026 20:12 · By NICOLE SOMMA · 24 Reads
M issing a game can have various impacts. With his sights set on the CONCACAF Champions Cup , Javier Mascherano decided to rest stars like Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul , opting for a lineup composed mainly of young players for the Inter Miami vs. Charlotte matchup .
The match ended scoreless for both teams, but after the game, Messi missed the opportunity to continue climbing an important scoring list.
Leo isn't the MLS's leading scorer
Although the Argentine #10's absence has raised some concern -given that he was just recovering from an injury- the decision to keep Lionel out of this match was to give him rest , as he had played the full 90 minutes in the first leg against Nashville SC.
Prioritizing the second leg on the 18th at home, Leo did not play against Charlotte, but he also missed the chance to add another goal that would have moved him higher on the scoring table.
Petar Musa , a forward for FC Dallas, leads the MLS scoring table with 5 goals . João Klauss (LA Galaxy), Sam Surridge (Nashville SC), and Nicolás Fernández Mercau (New York City FC) follow with four goals each .
With three goals , Messi joins the list after scoring in the two victories against Orlando City and DC United and shares the spot with ten other players who have scored the same number as Leo so far this season, according to Diez .
Thus, Leo could continue climbing the table if he scores in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday, or on Sunday, March 22 , when he visits Yankee Stadium to face New York City in MLS action.
Furthermore, with another goal, he would not only move up the rankings but also reach 900 career goals, leaving him just 65 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo's 965 , as they are currently the two all-time leading scorers in soccer history.
Meanwhile, his potential opponent in the quarterfinals will come out of the series between Philadelphia and América, where the Mexican team holds the advantage after winning 1-0 in the first leg in the United States.