Lionel Messi reached a monumental milestone in his illustrious career on Wednesday, scoring his 900th senior goal in Inter Miami’s 3-1 victory over Nashville SC in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round-of-16 tie. The goal, scored in the seventh minute, adds to a career tally amassed across Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and now Inter Miami.
The achievement places Messi in an exclusive club, with only Cristiano Ronaldo, who surpassed 900 goals in September 2024, currently active with a comparable record. According to ESPN, Messi hailed the moment as a “beautiful, emotional moment” after securing a first-ever MLS Cup title for Inter Miami on Saturday, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1.
Messi’s journey to 900 goals began in May 2005, when, as a teenager, he debuted for Barcelona and scored his first professional goal against Albacete. He quickly followed with his first senior international goal for Argentina in March 2006. Since then, he has consistently reached double figures in goals scored each season for both club and country.
The bulk of Messi’s goals have come during his time with Barcelona, where he netted 672 goals in 778 appearances across 17 seasons – representing 75% of his total career goals. He added 32 goals in 75 games during his two-year stint with Paris Saint-Germain, and has so far scored 81 goals in 93 games for Inter Miami. For Argentina, Messi has 115 goals in 196 international appearances, including two crucial goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final victory over France.
Messi’s prolific scoring record includes a single-season high of 82 goals for club and country in 2011-12. That same season, he became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing César Rodriguez. He also holds the world record for most goals scored in a single calendar year, with 91 goals in 69 games in 2012, surpassing Gerd Müller’s previous record of 85.
His goal-scoring breakdown reveals a reliance on his left foot, accounting for 756 of his 900 goals. He has also scored 111 goals with his right foot and 30 with his head, including a memorable header in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United. The majority of his goals have come from open play (718), with 112 penalties and 70 free kicks contributing to his total.
Since joining Inter Miami in July 2023, Messi has continued to break records. He guided the team to their first trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, and scored 23 goals in 25 games in 2024, becoming Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer and helping them secure the Supporters’ Shield. In 2025, he scored 29 goals in 28 regular-season games, winning the MLS Golden Boot and becoming the fastest player to reach 50 MLS goals, achieving the feat in 53 games – surpassing the previous record shared by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Josef Martínez (54 games). He was also named the MLS Cup MVP after leading Inter Miami to their first MLS Cup title, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on December 6, 2025, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Messi’s current contract with Inter Miami runs through the 2028 MLS season. Maintaining his recent average of approximately 36 goals per season could see him reach 1,000 career goals before the finish of his contract, potentially surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s current tally of 965 goals.
Leave a Reply