Lionel Messi scored the 900th goal of his professional career but could not stop Inter Miami from exiting the CONCACAF Champions Cup on away goals after a 1 1 draw with Nashville SC in Fort Lauderdale .
Messi, 38, struck after just seven minutes to give Miami the lead in the second leg of their last 16 tie at Chase Stadium, raising hopes of a memorable night for the MLS champions .
However, Nashville’s Cristian Espinoza fired in a 74th minute equaliser to level the tie 1 1 on aggregate, and the visitors then held firm to progress to the quarter finals on the away goals rule .
The result turned what began as a celebration of Messi’s milestone into a bittersweet farewell, as the game was also Inter Miami’s last appearance at their Chase Stadium home before moving to a new 26,700 seat arena next month .
Messi’s goal against Nashville was his 81st for Inter Miami since joining the club in 2023, adding to 672 goals for Barcelona, 32 for Paris Saint Germain and 115 for Argentina at international level .
The Argentine legend’s 900 goal tally comes 21 years after his first senior strike for Barcelona as a 17 year old in a 2 0 win over Albacete in 2005 .
Despite the landmark, Messi still trails long time rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 965 official career goals according to most recognised statistical records .
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, a former team mate of Messi at Barcelona and with Argentina, described his numbers as insane and said it was a privilege to have watched many of those goals up close .
He called Messi one of a kind and said the forward’s consistency over two decades sets him apart in football history .
Messi is widely expected to lead Argentina at the expanded 48 team World Cup later this year in the United States, Canada and Mexico, as defending champions .
He has already extended his Inter Miami contract through to the end of the 2028 season, underlining his commitment to the MLS side even as they rebuild at a new home ground .
Over his career, Messi’s 672 goals for Barcelona came in 778 games, helping the Catalan giants win 35 trophies before he joined PSG in 2021, where he added 32 goals in 75 matches and won two Ligue 1 titles among three trophies .
Since moving to Miami, his 81 goals in 96 appearances have powered the club to the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2025 MLS Cup, while his 115 goals in 196 games for Argentina include a brace in the 2022 World Cup final win over France .
Statisticians generally rank Messi second behind Ronaldo in the all time scoring charts, while Brazilian legend Pele is credited by most records with 762 official goals for Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos, despite longstanding claims of more than 1,000 .
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