Messi Scores His 900th Goal — but Inter Miami Exit the CONCACAF Champions Cup
Lionel Messi has reached yet another historic milestone — his 900th career goal. But the night didn’t end the way he would’ve wanted.
Inter Miami hosted Nashville in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 — the regional equivalent of the Champions League. The first leg had ended 0–0, leaving everything open.
Messi struck early.
In the 7th minute, he received the ball inside the box, shifted it onto his left foot, and fired a low shot into the far corner — slipping it through a defender’s legs. A classic Messi finish. Goal number 900.
However, Nashville had the final word.
Cristian Espinoza equalized in the 74th minute, and with the away goals rule still in effect, the 1–1 draw was enough to send Nashville through.
After the match, Nashville head coach B.J. Callaghan took a moment to acknowledge the milestone:
«900 goals. Congratulations to him — the greatest player in history.»
Inter Miami boss Javier Mascherano didn’t hide from responsibility:
«There’s nothing I can say against the players. They gave everything. The only one to blame is the coach — me.»
900 Goals: The Numbers Behind Messi’s Greatness
Messi now has 900 goals in 1,142 matches — a staggering return across nearly two decades at the top.
Most of them, of course, came during his legendary spell at Barcelona.
- Barcelona — 672
- Argentina — 115
- Inter Miami — 81
- PSG — 32
How Messi Scores
The breakdown says everything about his style.
- Left foot — 755
- Right foot — 111
- Head — 30
- Other — 4
Around 83% of his goals have come with his left foot — yet even his aerial tally stands out considering his height (170 cm).
Types of Goals
- Open play — 612
- Inside the box — 106
- Penalties — 112
- Free kicks — 70
Messi vs Ronaldo: The Eternal Race
Cristiano Ronaldo currently sits on 965 career goals in 1,312 games.
He reached the 900 mark in 1,236 matches — significantly slower than Messi.
Some key comparisons:
Goals per game:
- Messi — 0.70
- Ronaldo — 0.73
Without penalties:
- Messi — 0.69
- Ronaldo — 0.59
Favourite Victims
Messi has tormented certain teams more than others:
- Sevilla — 38
- Atletico Madrid — 32
- Valencia — 30
- Athletic Club — 29
- Real Madrid — 26
The Gap to the Rest
Among active players, the closest challenger behind Messi and Ronaldo is Robert Lewandowski with 690 goals.
That’s still 210 goals behind Messi — and even further off Ronaldo.
900 goals.
At this point, it’s no longer about records — it’s about redefining what’s even possible in football.
Published by Patrick Jane
19.03.2026