Messi Faces New Rival for MLS Golden Boot
Lionel Messi, known for his intense Golden Boot rivalries with Cristiano Ronaldo, now faces a new contender: English striker Sam Surridge.
Surridge recently scored for Nashville in their 2-1 loss against Cincinnati, bringing his total to 21 goals this season, putting him two goals ahead of Inter Miami's Messi in the race for the MLS top scorer title.
Nashville has only four matches remaining in the 34-game regular season, while Inter Miami, who participated in the Club World Cup, has eight matches left.
Other players are also in contention, including Denis Bouanga from LAFC, who has scored 18 goals this season.
At 38, Messi has netted 61 goals in 74 appearances for Inter Miami but has yet to secure the league's Golden Boot. He has, however, won the Pichichi Trophy, awarded to La Liga's top scorer, eight times, and the European Golden Shoe five times, famously scoring 50 goals in La Liga during the 2011-12 season.
Surridge's most prolific season in league football was eight goals in League Two.
Who is Sam Surridge?
Sam Surridge, a former England Under-21 striker, began his professional career at Bournemouth. He had several loan spells at local non-league clubs such as Weymouth and Poole, as well as League Two teams Yeovil and Oldham, and a Championship stint at Swansea.
He later signed permanent deals with Stoke and Nottingham Forest, helping the latter secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2022-23 season. His MLS teammate Alex Muyl humorously remarked, "You have to ask this guy how many different clubs he’s played for," highlighting Surridge's extensive career journey.
Despite his varied experiences, Surridge's best goal tally in England was eight, achieved in both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He scored once in 20 Premier League appearances for Forest before transferring to the US for approximately £5 million in 2023. Surridge netted 12 goals in his inaugural MLS season and has already scored 21 this year, making him Nashville's second all-time leading scorer with 43 goals since the club's establishment in 2016 and entry into MLS in 2020.
Although he has yet to win a European Golden Shoe, Surridge reflected on his experiences in lower leagues, stating, "When you play against men in, say, League Two, it’s not easy when you’re away and it’s rainy, and you have to grind out a win. I think that was important for me, where I learned from a young age, and it shows now in my game. It’s definitely a different pathway than many other players, but one that has benefited me greatly. I’ve experienced various styles of football."
Previous MLS Golden Boot Winners
If Surridge secures the Golden Boot, he would become only the second English player to achieve this honor, following Bradley Wright-Phillips, who topped the scoring charts for the New York Red Bulls in 2014 and 2016. Other notable winners include Landon Donovan, Sebastian Giovinco, Carlos Vela, and Christian Benteke, who scored 23 goals for DC United last season, with Messi and Luis Suarez also finishing with 20 goals.