Video: Lionel Messi scores from penalty for Inter Miami vs Independiente del Valle in friendly

Inter Miami are currently facing Independiente del Valle in Puerto Rico, and Lionel Messi has made his presence felt at the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium. After entering as a second-half substitute, the Argentine legend converted a clinical penalty to hand the reigning MLS champions a 2-1 lead.

Following the rescheduling of the match—originally slated for Friday, February 13, but postponed due to a hamstring injury sustained by Messi—spectators finally witnessed the moment they had been waiting for.

Despite the initial delay to the tour schedule, the capacity crowd at Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel saw the Argentine superstar find the back of the net to give Inter Miami the lead.

The opportunity arose after a penalty was awarded for a handball by Gustavo Cortez inside the box. As is custom, the Argentina captain stepped up to take the kick, striking the ball with a precision that left the goalkeeper with no chance.

Messi maintains pursuit of 1,000-goal milestone

Following his clinical penalty in Puerto Rico, Messi continues his steady climb toward one of soccer’s most elusive records. Now sitting at 898 official career goals, the Inter Miami captain remains focused on the quadruple-digit mark. However, his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, currently leads the race to become the first player in history to reach the historic milestone.

The Al Nassr forward has already tallied 965 career goals. What once seemed impossible now appears increasingly inevitable, as the Portuguese international needs only 35 more goals to reach the 1,000-goal mark.

While Ronaldo maintains a significant lead in total volume, Messi’s scoring rate since joining Major League Soccer suggests he is not ready to conceded the race just yet.