FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi has reached a new milestone. Achieved 900 career goals It happened in the opening minutes of Inter Miami’s CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 game against Nashville on Wednesday night.
The back-to-back Major League Soccer MVP, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion predictably scored with his left foot, as he has for most of his career goals for club and country. In the seventh minute, he received a pass in the center of the box, controlled the ball, rotated and fired a low shot through the maze of defenders and into the far corner of the goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo He is the only male player to score more than 900 goals, at least according to official tallies. It took Ronaldo about 100 more matches than Messi needed to reach this milestone. Ronaldo will be 39 when he reaches 900 goals in September 2024, while Messi won’t turn 39 until June.
This historic goal attracted the attention of the star player from outside the soccer world. Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson posted on social media that Messi’s 900th goal is an “incredible milestone.”
“What an incredible feat!” Johnson wrote.
Some people have suggested that Brazilian legend Pele Although he has surpassed 1,000 career goals, his “official” total is closer to 800 goals. Different sources count different sets of matches and list goals ranging from around 650 goals in league matches to nearly 1,300 in all matches, including some in lower level matches.
It was a night that Messi definitely didn’t feel like celebrating. Nashville tied 1-1 with Inter Miami and advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament with an away goals tiebreaker. The teams played to a 0-0 draw last week in Nashville, the opening round of 16 matchup.
Nashville coach BJ Callahan praised him after the game, saying, “Congratulations on his 900th goal. He’s the best.”
Messi remains the most popular and most followed player in the game. His number 10 Inter Miami jersey has been the best-selling in the league since he came to MLS, and everything he does makes big news everywhere in the soccer world.
This milestone joins the countless awards and achievements of Messi’s career, including eight Pichichi Trophies as La Liga’s top scorer, six La Liga Best Player awards, three FIFA Men’s Player of the Year awards, three UEFA Player of the Year awards, two FIFA World Cup Golden Balls, and being named Argentina Player of the Year over 15 times.
Messi has also helped his club and country win 47 trophies, including the 2022 World Cup with Argentina and last season’s MLS title with Inter Miami, making him the most decorated player in the history of the men’s game. He is likely to play for Argentina again this summer when the World Cup will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
“The reality is that Leo clears all doubts,” Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said late last season.
More than half of Messi’s goals came at Barcelona, where he played for nearly 20 years. He joined Inter Miami in 2023 and was originally under contract until the end of last season, but has now signed a new contract until 2028.
___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
