Golden Boot Battle With Lionel Messi Feels ‘Surreal’ to MLS Rival Sam Surridge

Former Nottingham Forest Striker on Competing With Inter Miami Superstar in 2025

It is the kind of storyline that once belonged only to video games or daydreams: Sam Surridge, a hardworking English forward who left the hustle of the Championship and Premier League, finds himself shoulder to shoulder in the MLS Golden Boot battle with none other than Lionel Messi.

For Surridge, now spearheading the attack at Nashville SC, the experience is nothing short of “surreal.” To be in direct competition with the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, a player widely regarded as the greatest of all time, is both a source of inspiration and motivation.

Messi, in typically devastating fashion, has already scored 30 goals in all competitions this season, including 22 in MLS. Surridge, though, has not been far behind with 21 strikes to his name. In the context of a league still carving out its identity on the global stage, this unlikely duel between global icon and ambitious challenger has captured the imagination of fans everywhere.

Surridge’s MLS Arrival in the Same Summer as Messi

When Surridge made the decision to cross the Atlantic in 2023, many eyebrows were raised. Just days earlier, Messi himself had accepted the offer from David Beckham’s Inter Miami, a move that dominated world headlines.

Surridge’s transfer, naturally, attracted less global fanfare, but for Nashville, the 27-year-old represented a gamble worth taking. He had shown flashes of quality in England with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, but never quite cemented himself as a long-term starter. What he needed was a fresh challenge, and Major League Soccer offered him precisely that.

Ironically, both he and Messi debuted in the same Leagues Cup campaign that summer. Their paths crossed almost immediately in the 2023 final, when Messi’s brilliance helped Miami edge out Nashville. Surridge was on the losing side, but the experience of sharing a pitch with the Argentine would leave a lasting impression.

Why Messi Remains One of the Best in the Business

Sam Surridge Nashville 2025

The remarkable thing about Messi’s MLS journey is not simply his star power, but his ability to deliver at a consistently elite level. At 38, the Argentine could have coasted, content with a glittering career. Instead, he continues to rack up numbers that most strikers in their prime would envy.

“Messi could end up scoring however many goals in a game, and I can’t control that,” Surridge told FourFourTwo. “I focus on what I can do. It’s also great that he’s doing well because it’s almost like me against him in a way, but there are still others in the race for the Golden Boot.”

For Surridge, the sheer inevitability of Messi’s productivity only adds to the surreal nature of their shared pursuit. “Yes, he is still one of the best,” Surridge admitted. “Him and Ronaldo. Messi is not just doing it in MLS, he’s still doing it internationally. It’s only a couple of years ago, he won the Ballon d’Or while playing in Miami. It’s great for the league that he’s here.”

Suarez Still an Inspiration

While Messi draws the global spotlight, Surridge also finds inspiration in another Inter Miami icon: Luis Suárez.

“I’ve always looked up to him,” Surridge said. “Suárez is a great player, someone I always watched on YouTube—his movement, the way he creates chances for himself. He doesn’t move as well as he used to, but these players always find an extra yard. He’s still got that fire.”

For an emerging forward like Surridge, having the chance to measure himself against not one but two legends of the modern game is a unique privilege. Suárez’s relentless mentality and instinctive finishing continue to serve as a reference point, even in the twilight of his career.

The Numbers Behind the Golden Boot Battle

Messi’s 22 league goals this season have been scored in typically diverse fashion: free-kicks bent into top corners, mazy solo runs, and trademark finishes inside the box. His output has been complemented by assists, leadership, and a wider impact on Miami’s attacking identity.

Surridge, meanwhile, has scored 21 MLS goals, many of them the product of smart positioning and clinical finishing. His strike rate has exceeded expectations, proving that his move to the United States was more than just a career detour—it was an opportunity to thrive.

The Englishman’s goals have been especially valuable to Nashville’s playoff hopes, with his presence in the penalty area giving them a reliable focal point.

A League Transformed by Superstars

This Golden Boot race is symbolic of a broader transformation. MLS has long sought to balance its identity between a developmental league for American players and a destination for international stars. Messi’s arrival has undeniably accelerated the latter narrative, but players like Surridge provide an important counterpoint.

Here is a player not arriving with a Ballon d’Or cabinet, but with ambition and hunger. His ability to stand toe to toe with Messi in the scoring charts underlines the depth and competitiveness now present in MLS.

Playoff Race Heating Up

Luis Suarez Inter Miami 2025

The timing of this battle adds extra spice. On October 18, Nashville will once again face Inter Miami in the final round of the regular season. The stakes could hardly be higher: both clubs are vying for a playoff spot, with only a top-nine finish in the Eastern Conference guaranteeing progress.

For Messi, it is another opportunity to showcase his ability to deliver when it matters most. For Surridge, it is a chance to prove that his season is more than just an anomaly—that he can perform under pressure against the very best.

Why This Feels “Surreal”

The word “surreal” captures more than just Surridge’s disbelief at sharing a scoring race with Messi. It speaks to the improbability of football’s narratives. Two players from vastly different backgrounds—one a global icon, the other a journeyman striker—now find themselves side by side in the storylines of MLS 2025.

And yet, this is precisely why fans fall in love with the sport. Football has always thrived on its capacity to surprise, to create unlikely heroes, and to produce moments that feel almost scripted.

Conclusion: The Race Goes On

As the Golden Boot battle with Lionel Messi rumbles on, Sam Surridge remains both humbled and hungry. “Being in a race with Messi is special for me,” he admits. And while Messi’s brilliance often feels inevitable, Surridge’s rise is a reminder of what determination and opportunity can achieve.

For MLS, the optics are golden. On one side, the greatest of all time, still dazzling in the twilight of his career. On the other, a determined English striker making the most of his American adventure. Together, they embody the growing stature of a league that is no longer just a retirement home, but a stage where unexpected stories are written.

The season is far from over, and as October 18 looms, the race remains alive. Whether Messi claims another accolade or Surridge achieves a career-defining triumph, one thing is certain: the 2025 MLS Golden Boot battle has already entered league folklore.