Lionel Messi made history, becoming only the second male footballer to reach 900 senior career goals. The landmark strike came in the seventh minute of Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Despite the historic achievement, Miami were eliminated from the competition on the away goals rule. Lionel Messi Goal Video: Inter Miami Captain Hits 900th Career Goal To Become Second Player After Cristiano Ronaldo To Achieve Feat.

A Milestone of Efficiency

The 38-year-old reached the 900-goal mark in just 1,142 professional appearances. This feat makes him the fastest and youngest player to reach the milestone, surpassing the previous record held by Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi’s goal was a trademark left-footed finish from the centre of the box, assisted by Sergio Reguilón.

Career Scoring Breakdown

The vast majority of Messi’s goals were scored during his storied 17-season career at FC Barcelona. Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, the Argentine captain has maintained an impressive scoring rate, helping the club to several domestic honours while continuing to add to his international tally with Argentina. Lionel Messi Hits 900 Career Goals, Joins Cristiano Ronaldo in Elite Club.

Lionel Messi Team-Wise Goals

Team Goals Scored
FC Barcelona 672
Argentina 115
Inter Miami 81
Paris Saint-Germain 32
Total Career Goals 900

Comparison With Cristiano Ronaldo

Messi reached the 900-goal mark in 1,142 official matches, exactly 94 games fewer than Ronaldo, who required 1,236 appearances to hit the same figure in September 2024. Furthermore, Messi achieved this at 38 years and 8 months of age, making him the youngest player to do so, surpassing Ronaldo who was 39 at the time of his 900th goal.

Throughout their careers, Messi has maintained a slightly higher goals-per-game average. As of March 2026, Messi averages 0.79 goals per game, compared to Ronaldo's 0.74. This efficiency is also reflected in their minutes per goal metrics, where Messi scores approximately every 104 minutes, while Ronaldo finds the net every 111 minutes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 19, 2026 11:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).