March 19 (Reuters) – Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal on Wednesday, becoming the second player after Cristiano Ronaldo to reach the milestone in elite men’s football.
The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner marked the milestone with a left-footed goal 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 goal in senior football for Barcelona as a 17-year-old in 2005.
Inter manager Javier Mascherano said Messi’s numbers were ‘insane’.
“I have been fortunate enough to see most or many of the goals he has scored, much closer than all of you, and that is 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 the milestone in his 1,142nd appearance for club and country, almost 100 games fewer than Ronaldo, who needed 1,236 games to reach the milestone in September 2024.
Portuguese striker Ronaldo has now scored 965 goals and is aiming for the 1,000 mark before leaving the game.
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The majority of Messi’s goals came during his time at Barcelona, where he scored 672 times. He scored 32 at Paris St-Germain and 81 at Inter Miami and scored 115 for Argentina, with whom he won the World Cup in 2022.
Messi’s teammates have been able to rely on him at crucial moments, with 175 of his goals coming in knockout games, including 35 in finals.
His 129 goals in the European Champions League are second only to Ronaldo’s 140.
Messi’s milestone goal came on a bittersweet evening for Miami, who exited the competition on away goals after the first leg of the tie ended 0-0.
