Messi Joins Ronaldo in 900-Goal Club Despite Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup Exit

Lionel Messi created history on Wednesday by becoming only the second men’s footballer to score 900 goals in official matches, reaching the landmark during Inter Miami CF’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The result meant Inter Miami was eliminated from the competition on the away goals rule after Cristian Espinoza cancelled out Messi’s early strike to send Nashville through. The first leg had ended goalless.

Messi struck inside the opening 10 minutes, picking up a pass in the box, cutting to his left and firing across goal to give Miami the lead in a tightly contested encounter.

However, Espinoza equalised midway through the second half with a superb effort following a scramble in front of goal, and Miami failed to find a winner in the closing stages.

Despite the elimination, the milestone goal marked another extraordinary achievement in Messi’s decorated career, placing him among an elite group.

How does Messi’s goal tally compare with Ronaldo, Pelé and Lewandowski?

The Argentine captain joined his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men’s players to reach 900 goals.

Ronaldo, who achieved the feat in September 2024, currently has 965 goals and has expressed his ambition to reach 1,000 before retiring.

It took Messi 1,142 matches to reach the milestone, while Ronaldo required 1,236. Pelé occupies third place on the all-time scoring charts with 765 goals. Among active players, Robert Lewandowski trails significantly with 690 goals.

Messi’s journey began with his professional debut for FC Barcelona on October 16, 2004. He scored 672 goals for the Spanish club before adding 32 during his spell with Paris Saint-Germain and 81 for Inter Miami.

At the international level, he has netted 115 goals for Argentina national football team.

His most prolific calendar year came in 2012, when he scored a remarkable 91 goals for club and country, a record that remains unmatched in modern football.

What did Javier Mascherano say after Inter Miami CF’s draw despite Messi’s milestone?

Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano expressed disappointment after the draw.

"We had several chances to score another goal or two, especially in the first half. Well, the match was clearly in jeopardy, as it was a very tight contest against a formidable opponent,” he added.

"Regrettably, we conceded a goal following a somewhat unfortunate sequence of events; things happen, and we ended up getting knocked out," the Inter Miami coach said.

"The reality is that I have absolutely nothing to reproach the players for. They gave their absolute maximum and did everything humanly possible; ultimately, the person truly responsible for this elimination is me,” he added.

Nashville coach B.J. Callaghan paid tribute to Messi’s achievement, saying: "900 goals, congratulations to him. He's the best."

(With inputs from ANI)