Kamal Ghorui
Lionel Messi added yet another historic chapter to his legendary career on Wednesday, becoming only the second men’s footballer to score 900 goals in official matches. The landmark moment came during Inter Miami CF’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.Despite Messi’s early strike, Inter Miami were knocked out of the competition on the away goals rule after Cristian Espinoza equalised to send Nashville through.The goal, however, was a significant personal milestone for Messi, placing him in an exclusive club alongside Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men’s players to reach 900 official goals. Ronaldo had achieved the feat earlier, in September 2024, and currently leads the charts with 965 goals. The Portuguese star has also expressed his ambition to become the first to reach 1,000 goals.Messi reached the 900-goal mark in 1,142 matches, quicker than Ronaldo, who took 1,236 games. In the all-time scoring list, Pelé remains third with 765 goals, while active players like Robert Lewandowski trail behind with 690.A majority of Messi’s goals came during his iconic spell with FC Barcelona, where he netted 672 times after making his debut in 2004. He later scored 32 goals for Paris Saint-Germain before continuing his prolific run in the United States with 81 goals for Inter Miami.On the international stage, the Argentina national football team captain has scored 115 goals, further cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest players. His most remarkable year remains 2012, when he scored an astonishing 91 goals for club and country, a record that still stands as one of football’s greatest individual feats.
