03/18/26 08:30:00
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03/18 20:29 CDT For 10, it's 900: Inter Miami star Lionel Messi scores
milestone 900th goal, joining Ronaldo in club
For 10, it's 900: Inter Miami star Lionel Messi scores milestone 900th goal,
joining Ronaldo in club
By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) --- 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.
The back-to-back Major League Soccer MVP, eight-time Ballon d'Or winner and
World Cup champion got it as would be expected --- with his left foot, like the
majority of his career goals for club and country. He took a pass in the middle
of the box in the seventh minute, controlled the ball, spun and lined a low
shot through a maze of defenders and into the far corner of the net.
Cristiano Ronaldo is the only other men's player with more than 900 goals ---
at least, by official counts. It took Ronaldo about 100 more matches to get to
the milestone than Messi needed; Ronaldo was 39 when he got to 900 goals in
September 2024, while Messi doesn't turn 39 until June.
There are some who have suggested Brazilian legend Pel topped 1,000 goals for
his career, though his "official" total is closer to 800. Different sources,
counting different sets of games, list Pel's goal totals anywhere from around
650 in league matches to somewhere near 1,300 in all matches --- some against
low-level competition.
It was a night where Messi surely didn't feel like celebrating. Nashville tied
Inter Miami 1-1, advancing to the tournament quarterfinals on an away-goal
tiebreaker. The teams played to a 0-0 tie in Nashville last week, the opening
leg of the Round of 16 matchup.
Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan paid tribute after the game, saying, "900 goals,
congratulations to him. He's the best."
Messi remains the game's most popular and most-followed player. His No. 10
Inter Miami jersey has been the bestseller in the league since he arrived in
MLS, and everything he does becomes major news in all corners of the soccer
world.
This milestone joins countless other awards and accomplishments over Messi's
career, including eight Pichichi trophies as La Liga's top scorer, six La Liga
best player nods, three Best FIFA Men's Player awards, three UEFA Men's Player
of the Year wins, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls and no fewer than 15
selections as Argentina's best player in a given year.
Messi has also been part of winning 47 trophies for club and country ---
including the 2022 World Cup for Argentina and last season's MLS title with
Inter Miami --- making him the most decorated player the men's game has ever
seen. He is likely to play again for Argentina this summer when the World Cup
is held in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
"The reality," Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said late last season, "is
that Leo clears all doubts."
More than half of Messi's goals came with Barcelona, the place he played for
nearly two decades. He joined Inter Miami in 2023, was under contract through
the end of last season originally and now has a new deal stretching into 2028.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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