Leo Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo in the 900 goals club

Lionel Messi has reached another milestone, getting his 900th career goal in the opening minutes of Inter Miami`s CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 match against Nashville on Wednesday night.

In the first minutes of Inter Miami`s CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 encounter, Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal. According to official counts, Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other men`s player with more than 900 goals. Ronaldo required almost 100 more games to reach the milestone than Messi did; Messi doesn`t turn 39 until June, whilst Ronaldo reached 900 goals in September 2024 at the age of 39.

Although his “official” tally is closer to 800, some have claimed that Brazilian icon Pele scored more than 1,000 goals during his career. Pele`s goal totals range from about 650 in league games to almost 1,300 in all games, according to various sources that count different sets of games.

Messi`s goal was in vain as Nashville advanced to the tournament quarterfinals on the away-goal rule after drawing with Inter Miami 1-1. Last week, the teams` first leg matchup ended in a 0-0 draw in Nashville.

Leo Messi is one of the most decorated football players of all time

Over Messi`s career, he has won eight Pichichi trophies as La Liga`s top scorer, six La Liga best player nominations, three Best FIFA Men`s Player awards, three UEFA Men`s Player of the Year titles, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls, and at least 15 selections as Argentina`s best player in a given year. This 900th goal milestone is just one of his many accolades and achievements.

Messi is the most decorated player in the history of the men`s game, having helped his club and nation win 47 trophies, including the 2022 World Cup for Argentina and the MLS championship with Inter Miami last season. When the World Cup takes place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer, he is probably going to play for Argentina once more.

More than half of Messi`s goals came with Barcelona, the place he played for nearly two decades, he joined Inter Miami in 2023.

(With AP Input)