Lionel Messi has made history as the second men’s player ever to reach 900 official goals, scoring during Inter Miami‘s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday.
The first leg ended without goals, resulting in Miami’s elimination on the away goals rule after Cristian Espinoza’s equalizer thwarted Messi’s earlier effort to give Miami the lead.
Messi, who had missed the opportunity to score his 900th in his previous two matches, quickly made his mark in the second leg. Within 10 minutes, he received a pass in the penalty area, maneuvered to his left, and sent a shot across goal to open the scoring.
However, Espinoza equalized with a stunning strike midway through the second half after a scramble in front of the goal, and despite Miami’s efforts, they couldn’t find a winner, leading to their exit from the tournament.
Post-match, Miami coach Javier Mascherano expressed disappointment but acknowledged the work that lies ahead for the team. He stated, “It was clearly a very sad night, filled with disappointment. We had high hopes for advancing in this tightly contested match, and after taking the lead, we had several opportunities to extend our advantage, especially in the first half. Unfortunately, we faced a setback with a goal that resulted from an unfortunate series of events.” He added, “I have no complaints about the players’ efforts; they did everything they could. Ultimately, I take full responsibility for our elimination.”
Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan honored Messi after the match, remarking, “Congratulations to him on reaching 900 goals. He truly is the best.”
With his strike, Messi becomes the second men’s player to reach 900 goals, joining Cristiano Ronaldo, who achieved this milestone in September 2024.
Ronaldo currently holds 965 goals and has expressed a desire to cross the 1,000-goal mark before his retirement. Messi reached 900 goals in 1,142 matches, while Ronaldo took 1,236 games to achieve the same feat.
Brazilian legend Pele ranks third on the all-time list with 765 goals. Among active players, Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski trails significantly with 690 goals.
Messi entered Wednesday’s match with 899 goals since his professional debut for Barcelona on October 16, 2004.
The majority of Messi’s goals were scored during his time at Barcelona, where he amassed 672, followed by 81 at Inter Miami and 32 with Paris Saint-Germain. He also holds 115 goals for the Argentina national team, where he is the reigning World Cup champion.
2012 was Messi’s most prolific year, netting a record 91 goals for both Barcelona and Argentina.
His recent performance also secured him the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, as he led the league with 29 goals during the regular season. Furthermore, he was awarded the 2025 MLS MVP, marking his consecutive win of this honor.
Messi’s achievements include setting a world record for the most goals scored in a single calendar year, with 91 in 2012, and being the fastest player to net 100 goals in Champions League history, achieving this in just 123 matches.