Lionel Messi became only the second footballer in history to score 900 goals in official matches, scoring in the CONCACAF Cup return leg between Inter and Nashville on Wednesday (1-1), UNN reports with reference to ESPN.
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The first leg ended in a 0-0 draw, so Wednesday's result means Miami is eliminated from the CONCACAF Cup on away goals, as Cristian Espinoza's goal for Nashville proved decisive, leveling the score after Messi's goal and sending his team to the next round.
After missing the chance to score his 900th goal in the previous two games, Messi wasted no time in the second match, receiving a pass in the penalty area, moving to the left, and sending the ball back into the net, putting Miami ahead after just 10 minutes.
But Espinoza scored in the middle of the second half with a superb shot after a scramble in front of goal, and Miami couldn't score the decisive goal in the final minutes, ending their Champions Cup campaign.
After the game, Miami head coach Javier Mascherano said his team was disappointed but still had a lot of work to do.
Nashville coach BJ Callaghan paid tribute to Messi after the game, saying: "900 goals, congratulations to him." "He's the best."
The Argentina captain joined Cristiano Ronaldo as the only player to reach the 900-goal mark, scoring on Wednesday. Ronaldo reached this milestone in September 2024.
Ronaldo has 965 goals and has made it clear he wants to break the 1,000-goal mark before retiring. Messi needed 1,142 games to reach 900, while Ronaldo needed 1,236 matches.
Brazilian football great Pelé is third on the all-time top scorers list with 765 goals. Among active players, Robert Lewandowski of Barcelona is significantly behind Ronaldo and Messi, with 690 goals.
Before Wednesday's match, Messi had 899 goals since his professional debut for Barcelona on October 16, 2004.
Most of Messi's goals came during his time at Barcelona in Spain. He scored 672 goals there, and then added another 81. At Inter, he scored 32 goals, and at Paris Saint-Germain, he scored 32. Internationally, the reigning world champion has scored 115 goals for the Argentina national team.
Messi's most prolific year was 2012, when he scored a total of 91 goals for Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
His recent prolific performances earned him the 2025 MLS Golden Boot; he scored 29 goals in the regular season, becoming the league's top scorer. He also received the 2025 MLS MVP award, becoming the first player to receive this award twice in a row.
But Messi is no stranger to history. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner set a world record for the most goals scored in a single calendar year when he scored 91 goals in 69 games in 2012, 79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina. He is also the fastest player to score 100 Champions League goals, doing so in 123 games.
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