Lionel Messi Nears 900 Career Goals After MLS Cup Triumph

Lionel Messi is on the verge of a monumental milestone, approaching his 900th senior career goal. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner currently has 899 goals across his stints with Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami, following Inter Miami’s MLS Cup victory on December 7, 2025.

Messi’s Path to 900

Messi’s recent goals against Orlando City and D.C. United propelled him closer to the 900-goal mark. Cristiano Ronaldo, the only active player to have surpassed 900 professional career goals – achieving the feat in September 2024 – remains the benchmark. Robert Lewandowski, with 690 goals, is the next closest active player.

A Career in Goals

Messi’s goal-scoring journey began in May 2005 with Barcelona, marking the start of an extraordinary career. His debut goal came in a 2-0 victory against Albacete.

Goals by Team

• Barcelona: 672 goals in 778 games
• Paris Saint-Germain: 32 goals in 75 games
• Inter Miami: 80 goals in 91 games
• Argentina: 115 goals in 196 games
• Total: 899 goals in 1,140 games

Goals Per Season

After debuting for Barcelona in the 2004-05 season, Messi scored his first professional goal in May 2005. He reached double-digit goals in his second season (2005-06) and has maintained that consistency for the subsequent 20 seasons.

His single-season best came in 2011-12, with a remarkable 82 goals for both club and country. In that same season, he became Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer with 234 goals, surpassing César Rodriguez. He later became LaLiga’s top career scorer in 2014-15, reaching 253 goals and surpassing Telmo Zarra’s long-standing record of 251.

Messi’s Records and Milestones

Messi holds numerous records, including Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer, the LaLiga all-time leading scorer, and the world record for most goals scored in a single calendar year (91 goals in 69 games in 2012, surpassing Gerd Müller’s previous record of 85).

He also reached 500 club and international goals in April 2016, and became the fastest player to 100 Champions League goals, achieving the milestone in 123 games. He also became the youngest player to reach a century in the competition at 30 years and 263 days.

More recently, Messi has continued to break records in MLS. After leading Inter Miami to their first trophy, the 2023 Leagues Cup, he scored 23 goals in 25 games in 2024 to grow Inter Miami’s all-time leading scorer and helped the team win the Supporters’ Shield. In 2025, he scored 29 goals in 28 regular-season games, winning the MLS Golden Boot and becoming the fastest player to reach 50 MLS goals, taking 53 games to surpass the previous record shared by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Josef Martínez (54 games). He scored 43 goals in 49 games for Inter Miami in 2025.

The Race to 1,000 Goals

With 899 career goals, Messi is within reach of the 1,000-goal milestone. He has three seasons remaining on his Inter Miami contract, extending through the 2028 MLS campaign. Averaging around 36 goals per season since joining MLS, he is on track to potentially surpass Ronaldo’s current total of 965 goals.

Could Messi Retire with More Goals Than Ronaldo?

Ronaldo, currently with 965 career goals, turned 41 on February 5th. Messi, turning 39 on June 24th, has a time advantage. If Messi maintains his average goal-scoring rate, he could potentially surpass Ronaldo’s tally before the end of his current contract.

Both players have dominated the sport, winning a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards, and continue to push each other in their pursuit of greatness.