Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal in Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions League match against Major League Soccer side Nashville SC on Wednesday.
The Argentina star found the back of the net in the seventh minute, sneaking the ball past a number of defenders from Sergio Reguilon’s pass.
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Messi’s career goal total includes his time with Barcelona (672), Paris Saint-Germain (32), Inter Miami (81) and the Argentina national team (115).
“Obviously, we don’t fully understand the significance of it; talking about him scoring 900 goals is crazy and unbelievable for such a unique player,” Inter Miami head coach and Messi’s former teammate Javier Mascherano said this week, via the Miami Herald. “The truth is, I always say the same thing: Leo’s numbers are amazing, but more than anything, the stats are the least important aspect.
“You can score a lot of goals, it’s how you do it and he’s achieved incredible numbers not only in terms of goals and assists, but also for his contribution to the game itself, which I think is more important than his numbers.”
His first goal came on May 1, 2005 in the team’s 2-0 victory over Albacete. The nearly 18-year-old striker came on in the 88th minute and it didn’t take long to make an impact. He scored shortly after coming on, but the goal was called back for offside. Moments later, he received a light pass from Ronaldino and lobbed goalkeeper Raul Valbuena.
In 15 seasons with Barcelona, ​​Messi won 10 La Liga titles, 7 Ballon d’Or awards, 6 FIFA World Player of the Year awards, 4 Champions League titles and 3 Club World Cup titles, as well as countless team and individual honors. He left the Spanish giants in 2021 to join Paris Saint-Germain, where he spent two seasons before moving to MLS and signing with Inter Miami.
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Can Messi reach 1,000 goals?
Messi’s contract with Inter Miami will last until the end of the 2028 MLS season, when he will be 41 years old. He’s averaging 36 goals in a season with Inter Miami and Argentina since 2023, so 1,000 goals isn’t too remote. But injuries and load management have limited the football superstar’s performance over the past three seasons and will continue to be an issue during his current contract.
Messi’s contemporary Cristiano Ronaldo has a much better chance of reaching 1,000 goals. The Portuguese star, who currently has 965 goals, is 41 years old but has scored over 30 goals in the Saudi Professional League alongside Al Nasser over the past two seasons and is expected to do so again in the 2025-26 season. He has said that the 2026 World Cup will be his last, meaning his national team career may end this summer.
