Messi reaches 936 career goals at age 39, worldsoccertalk.com says
Lionel Messi reached 936 career goals at age 39 following a two-goal performance in Inter Miami’s 3–1 victory over Atlanta United, putting him on a faster scoring pace than Cristiano Ronaldo at the same milestone, according to worldsoccertalk.com.
How many goals did Cristiano Ronaldo have at 39 years old?
As noted by worldsoccertalk.com, worldsoccertalk.com noted that upon marking his 39th birthday on February 5, 2024, Cristiano Ronaldo had notched 873 official career goals in 1,204 outings. Over the course of that 12-month period leading up to his 40th birthday on February 5, 2025, Ronaldo scored 50 times, bringing his overall tally to 923 career goals across 1,254 games.
By comparison, Lionel Messi turned 39 on June 24, 2026, with 916 career goals to his name. That total nearly matched the number Ronaldo had accumulated when he turned 40. Messi has since added 20 more goals to reach 936, maintaining roughly eight months and numerous fixtures before he celebrates his own 40th birthday.
What are the differences in their international availability?
A key differentiator moving forward is international participation. Lionel Messi has already retired from the Argentina national team, which reduces the total number of matches available to him. As a result, Messi can now only build on his career tally through domestic and continental competitions with Inter Miami.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr. Ronaldo currently stands just 19 goals away from scoring 1,000 career goals, according to worldsoccertalk.com.
Is Lionel Messi still on pace to reach 1,000 career goals?
Even without fixtures for the Argentina national team, Lionel Messi remains on pace to reach the 1,000-goal milestone. According to worldsoccertalk.com, worldsoccertalk.com noted that Messi holds a better career goals-per-game average and is more than two years younger than Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving the competition for the ultimate scoring record wide open despite trailing Ronaldo in total distance to the target.