Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi reached 900 goals as a professional player on Wednesday.

The Argentina and Inter Miami captain became the second footballer in history to reach that milestone, after Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 38-year-old scored Inter Miami’s sole goal in a 1-1 tie with Nashville. Despite the historic landmark, it wasn’t enough for the Herons, who were eliminated in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions League.

The hit was a Messi classic and came at the very beginning of the game. Just seven minutes in, Spanish defender Sergio Reguilón found the Argentine star inside the box and fed him the ball. Closely marked by several defenders, the Rosario native controlled the ball tightly, opened up some space for himself and slotted it low into the far post with his left foot.

But another Argentine made it a bittersweet moment for Messi. With just 15 minutes remaining, former Boca Juniors and Huracán winger Cristian Espinoza took advantage of a mistake by the Inter Miami goalkeeper to tie the game. 

After the first leg ended 0-0, the draw was enough to send the Tennessee team through, thanks to a rule that gives teams that have scored the most away goals qualification for the next round.

Messi now tallies 81 goals in 88 matches for Inter Miami, 672 goals in 778 matches with Barcelona, and 32 goals in 75 matches with PSG at the club level. 

He also has 115 goals in 196 appearances for the Argentine men’s national football team — for whom he’s the all-time top scorer — a number he could increase on March 31 as he’s expected to feature with the Albiceleste in a friendly against Guatemala, in Buenos Aires.

Reactions to Messi’s landmark goal

One of the first to congratulate Messi on his 900th goal was Argentina Football Association (AFA) president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia.

“The best in the world hits a new record. Congratulations, No.10, on reaching 900 goals in your professional career. Your joy is our joy. Keep making history,” he posted on his X account.

The official accounts for Major League Soccer, CONMEBOL, the Argentine national football team, the UEFA Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain and the Ballon d’Or also congratulated Messi on his achievement.

However, neither FC Barcelona (where Messi came through the academy and played most of his football) nor the Spanish football league (where he scored most of those 900 goals) posted any messages related to the Argentine star.

Where does Messi stand among all-time official goal scorers in football?

While the goal was an important and impressive landmark, making Messi the second player ever to hit the 900-goal mark, it did little for him in the all-time official goal scorers rankings.

The Argentine star still trails Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo for the most official goals in football history, at 966.

The two titans of the modern era tower over past legends, with the third-placed Brazilian Pelé standing at 770, according to international statistics collection organisation RSSSF.

However, it’s worth noting that Pelé himself claimed to have scored over 1,000 goals, although exactly which games should be counted for his tally remains in debate. 

Other historic players, such as Germany’s Erwin Helmchen and the Austrian-Czech Josef Bican, have also been reported to have similar figures, with similar considerations.

© Buenos Aires Herald