NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Lionel Messi became only the second player in history to reach 900 top-level career goals after seven minutes in a Concacaf Champions Cup last-16 second leg match at Geodis Park. Nashville SC and Inter Miami drew 1-1 in the second leg, and Nashville SC advanced on the away-goal tiebreaker after a 0-0 first leg draw.

Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only male players to have scored over 900 top-level career goals. Ronaldo reached 900 career goals in September 2024 and has since scored 59 more goals to bring his total to 959.

The Argentine forward scored 672 goals in 778 appearances over 17 seasons with Barcelona, where he helped the club win 10 La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, four Champions League titles, three Super Cups, and three FIFA Club World Cups. He scored his first professional goal after coming on as a substitute for Samuel Eto'o in a La Liga match against Albacete in May 2005, becoming the youngest player to score for Barcelona at 17 years, 10 months, and seven days old.

After joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Messi scored 32 goals in 75 games before his contract expired at the end of the 2022-23 season. He then joined Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, in June 2023 and has since scored 81 goals in 92 appearances, helping the club win the League Cup and MLS Cup.

"900 goals, congratulations to him. He's the best," said B.J. Callaghan, head coach of Nashville SC. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano said, "I am a privileged spectator, nothing more, nothing less."

According to Opta, Messi scored 755 of his 900 goals with his left foot, 111 with his right foot, 30 with his head, and four with other methods. He scored 724 goals from inside the penalty area and 176 from outside the area, including 112 penalties and 70 free kicks.

Messi has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and has 196 caps for Argentina, scoring 115 goals for the national team. He led Argentina to victory in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. His most prolific opponent has been Sevilla, against whom he has scored 25 goals, followed by Athletic Club with 24 goals and Atletico Madrid with 23 goals.