Wednesday’s clash on March 18, 2026, between Inter Miami and Nashville SC will be remembered for a long time—not for what it meant to the Concacaf Champions Cup or the ambitions of both teams, but for the milestone reached by Lionel Messi. The Argentine forward scored his 900th official goal, something only Cristiano Ronaldo had accomplished before.
Leo reached that milestone in the opening minutes of the match against Nashville SC at Chase Stadium. Sergio Reguilon delivered the assist from the edge of the box; he controlled the ball and, with a precise left-footed strike, scored the opener.
Messi now has 900 official goals in his career, spread across the three clubs he played for professionally and his international career. With Barcelona is where Leo did most of his work: he scored 672 goals in 778 matches there.
Then, during his brief two-year stint in France, the forward scored 32 goals in 75 matches with Paris Saint-Germain. After that less-than-happy experience, Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, and since then he has played 93 matches with 81 goals.
Lionel Messi of Inter Miami
Finally, with the Argentina National Team Lionel Messi has logged 20 uninterrupted years. From his official senior debut in 2005 through his latest match on November 14, 2025, against Angola, the forward has recorded 115 goals in 196 appearances.
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Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC LIVE Updates: Messi scores 900th career goal in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 Second Leg (1-0)
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first to score 900 goals
To understand the magnitude of Lionel Messi’s achievement, it’s necessary to put that record into context. Until this Wednesday, only one player in soccer history had surpassed the 900-goal mark as a professional: Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 41-year-old forward, still active with Al Nassr and the Portugal National Team, is the all-time leading scorer with 965 goals. He reached that total through his years with Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, Al Nassr and Portugal, beginning in 2002.
How long did it take Messi and Ronaldo to reach 900 goals?
The 900th goal of Lionel Messi’s career came this Wednesday in the match against Nashville SC. The Argentine forward reached that number at 38 years and 8 months old. In terms of matches played, he needed 1,142. That represents an average of 0.78 goals per game.
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, reached 900 official goals on September 5, 2024, playing for Portugal against Croatia. At that time, the forward was 39 years and 7 months old and had played 1,238 matches, which represents an average of 0.73 goals per game.
