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Lionel Messi created history on Wednesday by becoming only the second men's footballer to score 900 goals in official matches, reaching the landmark during Inter Miami CF's 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, according to ESN.
The result means Inter Miami is eliminated from the CCC on the away goals rule, as a strike by Nashville's Cristian Espinoza proved decisive when he cancelled out an early goal from Messi to send his team through. Messi's milestone strike came in a tightly contested encounter, as Inter Miami secured progression on aggregate despite the draw. The goal marked yet another extraordinary achievement in the Argentine superstar's decorated career, placing him among an elite group of footballers to have reached such a staggering tally in official competitions. The Argentine legend and Inter Miami captain joined his rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the only men's players to reach 900 goals. The Portugal legend and Al-Nassr skipper Ronaldo achieved this historic feat in September 2024. Currently, Ronaldo has 965 goals and has made it clear he wants to reach the historic landmark of 1,000 goals before retiring. Messi, on the other hand, took 1,142 games to get to 900, while Ronaldo needed 1,236 matches to reach the mark. Brazilian legend Pele occupies third place on the all-time scoring charts with 765 goals. Among active players, Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski sits well behind Ronaldo and Messi with a tally of 690 goals. Since making his professional debut for Barcelona on October 16, 2004, Messi's bulk of goals have come during his stint in Spain, where he scored 672 goals for Barcelona. The legendary footballer later added 32 goals during his spell with Paris Saint-Germain and has continued his scoring run with 81 goals for Inter Miami CF. At the international level, the World Cup-winning forward has scored 115 goals for Argentina, underlining his influence on the global stage. The most prolific calendar year of Messi's career came in 2012, when he scored a remarkable 91 goals for both club and country, setting a benchmark that still stands out in modern football. (ANI)
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