Sports, March 19: Lionel Messi became only the second men’s footballer to score 900 goals in official matches, achieving the milestone during Inter Miami CF’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday.
Messi’s early goal in the match took him to the landmark figure, although Inter Miami were eliminated on the away goals rule after Cristian Espinoza equalised for Nashville.
The Argentine forward now joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men’s players to reach 900 goals in official matches. Ronaldo, who currently has 965 goals, reached the milestone in September 2024 and has expressed his aim of becoming the first player to score 1,000 goals.
Messi reached the mark in 1,142 matches, fewer than the 1,236 games taken by Ronaldo. Pelé remains third on the all-time list with 765 goals, while Robert Lewandowski is the highest-scoring active player behind the leading duo with 690 goals.
Since making his professional debut for FC Barcelona in October 2004, Messi has scored the bulk of his goals in Spain, registering 672 for the club. He added 32 during his time at Paris Saint-Germain and has netted 81 goals for Inter Miami.
At the international level, the World Cup-winning forward has scored 115 goals for the Argentina national football team.
Messi’s most prolific year came in 2012, when he scored 91 goals for club and country, a record that continues to stand in modern football.
