Argentine superstar Lionel Messi bagged the 900th goal of his glittering career on Wednesday but could not prevent Inter Miami from crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on away goals after a 1-1 draw with Nashville.
Messi, 38, scored his milestone goal after just seven minutes to put Miami 1-0 up in the second leg of their last-16 clash in the regional club competition.
Match Highlights
- Messi scored his 900th career goal in the 7th minute.
- Nashville’s Cristian Espinoza equalized in the 74th minute, making it 1-1 on aggregate.
- Nashville advanced to the quarter-finals on the away goals rule.
Miami’s exit was a bittersweet ending to what had promised to be a night of celebration after Messi’s early opener in what was the club’s final game at their Chase Stadium home in Fort Lauderdale.
Messi’s strike took the Argentine’s tally to 81 goals for the MLS champions following his move to Florida in 2023.
Career Goals Breakdown
- Barcelona: 672 goals in 778 games.
- Paris Saint-Germain: 32 goals in 75 matches.
- Inter Miami: 81 goals in 96 appearances.
- Argentina: 115 international goals in 196 matches.
Messi, widely regarded as the greatest player in football history, still has some way to go before he catches his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo, the 41-year-old Portuguese superstar who is on 965 career goals.
Speaking ahead of Messi’s 900th goal, Miami manager and former Argentina and Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano described the star’s goals total as “insane.”
Messi is strongly expected to play in his sixth World Cup later this year, when Argentina defend their title in the 48-team tournament being staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Argentine star has already extended his Inter Miami contract through to the end of the 2028 season.