Video: Lionel Messi scores 900th career goal during Inter Miami’s Concacaf Champions Cup clash vs Nashville

It didn’t take long for Lionel Messi to make his presence felt. Just 7 minutes into the game against Nashville SC in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Inter Miami ace Messi broke the deadlock with his 900th career goal.

He was surrounded by yellow jerseys. Not many players could ever get a shot off from that position, but Messi is unlike any other soccer player to walk this earth. As Messi unleashed a powerful, low-driven shot, everybody at Chase Stadium knew there was no stopping that ball.

Now, Messi has finally reached the 900-goal mark. It looks like an almost impossible climb to the 1,000-club, but if Messi has accustomed fans to one thing: it’s to never say never.

The race for 1,000 goals is on

Messi can celebrate his accomplishment, but the next objective is clear. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are both engaged in an electric race for the 1,000 goal mark in soccer history. Both have now cleared the 900-mark.

Although Messi joined this select club on March 18, 2026, and Cristiano Ronaldo did so on September 5, 2024, it actually took Ronaldo longer to reach 900 goals based on matches played. Messi accomplished the feat in 1,142 official outings, whereas Ronaldo did so in his 1,238th career game.

Messi and Ronaldo’s goal-per-game average

Although Messi can still add to his personal tally during Inter Miami’s home game against Nashville SC in the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup, his goals-per-game average is still remarkable. As it stands, Messi averages 0.78 goals per game.

Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, has scored 961 goals in 1,309 games, per Transfermarkt. That makes for an average of 0.73 goals per game.