Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal on Wednesday, becoming the second player to reach this record in elite men’s football after Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner scored with his left foot in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The 900th goal came 21 years after Messi scored his first in senior football for Barcelona at the age of 17 in 2005.
Inter manager Javier Mascherano said Messi’s tally was ‘insane’.
“I was lucky enough to see most of the goals he scored, much closer than all of you, and that’s a privilege,” he added.
“The number we’re talking about is insane, and that’s why Leo is one of a kind.”
Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, reached this milestone in his 1,142nd appearance for club and country, almost 100 games fewer than Ronaldo, who took 1,236 games to reach this milestone in September 2024.
Portuguese striker Ronaldo has now reached 965 goals and was aiming for the 1,000 mark before leaving the match.
The majority of Messi’s goals came during his time at Barcelona, where he scored 672 times. He added 32 at Paris St-Germain and 81 for Inter Miami and scored 115 for Argentina, with whom he won the World Cup in 2022.
Messi’s teammates were able to count on him in crucial moments with 175 of his goals scored in knockout matches, including 35 in the final.
His 129 European Champions League goals are second only to Ronaldo’s 140.
Messi’s landmark goal came on a bittersweet evening for Miami, who exited the competition on away goals after the first leg finished 0-0.
