Lionel Messi etched his name even deeper into football immortality by scoring his 900th senior career goal for club and country.
The Argentine superstar
netted the landmark strike in just the 7th minute of Inter Miami's CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 second-leg clash against Nashville SC. Messi received a pass in the box, controlled it smoothly, spun past defenders, and drilled a precise left-footed shot into the far corner.
The goal gave Inter Miami an early lead in what became a tightly contested tie, but Miami ended up losing the tie. It came just days after his 899th against D.C. United, capping a relentless chase that only Cristiano Ronaldo had previously achieved. Messi has reached the landmark in approximately 1,142 appearances - a staggering average of nearly 0.79 goals per game across two decades.
The Road to 900 Goals for Lionel Messi
1st goal - 1 May 2005 vs Albacete Balompie (La Liga, Barcelona) - Scored as a 17-year-old substitute in a 2-0 win; his first senior strike in just his 9th appearance.
100th goal - 29 September 2009 vs Dynamo Kyiv (UEFA Champions League, Barcelona) - 210th appearance.
200th goal - 17 August 2011 vs Real Madrid (Spanish Super Cup, Barcelona) - 332nd appearance.
300th goal - 27 October 2012 vs Rayo Vallecano (La Liga, Barcelona) - 418th appearance.
400th goal - 27 September 2014 vs Granada (La Liga, Barcelona) - 525th appearance.
500th goal - 17 April 2016 vs Valencia (La Liga, Barcelona) - 632nd appearance (BarÇa lost 2-1).
600th goal - 4 March 2018 vs Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Barcelona) - 747th appearance (iconic free-kick winner).
700th goal - 30 June 2020 vs Atletico Madrid (La Liga, Barcelona) - 862nd appearance (Panenka penalty in a 2-2 draw).
800th goal - 23 March 2023 vs Panama (International Friendly, Argentina) - 1,017th appearance (89th-minute free-kick in a 2-0 win; also his 99th international goal).
900th goal - 18 March 2026 vs Nashville SC (CONCACAF Champions Cup, Inter Miami) - 1,142nd appearance (7th-minute left-footed open-play strike).
Lionel Messi Career Goal Breakdown
Barcelona: 672
Inter Miami: 81
Paris Saint-Germain: 32
Argentina: 115
Of these, 756 were with his legendary left foot, 110 with the right, 30 headers, and 4 others. He has 70 free-kick goals, 112 penalties (77.8% success rate), and 106 open-play strikes from outside the box.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo sits above him in the all-time scoring charts, yet Messi's efficiency, longevity, and impact across La Liga, Champions League, MLS, and international football remain peerless. At 38, he continues to redefine greatness.
