Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Football star Lionel Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo in elite company as the second player ever to score 900 goals in top-level play after scoring in the 7th minute during Inter Miami’s second-leg bout against Nashville SC in the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Despite Messi’s record-breaking night, Inter Miami CF is going home, knocked out of the tournament in a 1-1 aggregate score that sees Nashville SC advance on the away goals rule.
Messi’s “one of a kind” past
Messi’s first goal at the top level came 21 years ago in 2005 when he became the youngest scorer in the history of FC Barcelona at 17 years, 10 months, and 1 week. During the Argentine’s 17-year tenure, he set several club records in career goals (672), assists (303), and most decorations (35).
Messi led the team to 35 total titles, including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns, seven Copa del Rey titles, eight Spanish Super Cups, three UEFA Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. In 2009, dubbed as “The Sixtuple,” FC Barcelona became the first European football club to win six major trophies in one year: La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The Argentine legend has also achieved remarkable individual success. He holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards with eight. In 2012, he scored an unprecedented 91 goals in a single calendar year, netting 79 for FC Barcelona and 12 for Argentina. He also became the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the UEFA Champions League, achieving the milestone in just 123 outings.
Prior to the historic match, the striker’s former teammate-turned-manager Javier Mascherano commented on the striker’s buildup to 900 goals and the career milestone, “[I am] a privileged spectator, nothing more, nothing less,” Mascherano said. “I haven’t contributed much to him scoring goals, neither with assists nor now as a coach. I’ve been lucky enough to see most, or many, of the goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege. The number we’re talking about [900] is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind.”
A breakdown of the striker’s historic appearance shows he scored 672 goals with Barcelona, 32 goals at Paris Saint-Germain, 81 for Inter Miami, and 115 for Argentina.
Messi and Ronaldo: an elite club
Before Wednesday’s match, the only other player to ever reach 900 goals was Cristiano Ronaldo, doing so in 1,236 matches across 23 professional seasons. He is the current all-time scorer with 965, with hopes to score 1000 before retirement.
Messi achieved his milestone nearly 100 games quicker in a total of 1,142 official matches and one season earlier in only his 22nd professional season. He also holds the record for most assists in football history with 407 to Ronaldo’s 261.
Comparison of accolades shows that Messi holds the most victories in titles for Ballon d’Or (8-5), European Golden Shoe (6-4), and most career trophies with 48 to Ronaldo’s 34.
However, Ronaldo holds the records in all-time scoring (965), Champions League Titles (5-4), and FIFA Club World Cup titles (4-3). He also has been nominated for the Balloon d’Or more times than Messi (18-16), winning 5 times but finishing runner-up to Messi during 4 of the latter’s eight wins. Messi finished runner-up to Ronaldo in voting during all five of Ronaldo’s Ballon d’Or victories.
Widely regarded as the best strikers in the history of the game, the two legends used to have a fierce rivalry. In 2023, Ronaldo stated that “the rivalry is gone” after both players have gone separate ways. Ronaldo currently plays for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, while Messi plays for United States Major League Soccer Inter-Miami CF.
The duo faced each other on the pitch a total of 35 times. Messi has come out on top 16 of those times with a total record of 16-10-9. Their last class was a friendly match in 2023 in which Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Ronaldo’s Riyadh All-Star XI 5-4.
The debate continues among critics and fans over which striker is superior. However, one thing is certain: neither has finished making their mark on the pitch, and this latest achievement is clear proof of that.
