Lionel Messi on verge of smashing Cristiano Ronaldo’s goalscoring record from 2024 | OneFootball

Lionel Messi is on the verge of his next great milestone, and he’s set to reach it in more impressive fashion than his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo.

After a disappointing defeat in Inter Miami’s 2026 campaign to retain their MLS crown, in which Messi raged at the referee following the full-time whistle, normal business resumed in an eye-catching Florida derby.

Inter Miami looked set for another bruising loss as they went two goals down to Orlando City in the opening half an hour, but Messi – rolling back the years once again – inspired them a stunning 4-2 comeback victory.

The 38-year-old scored twice in the win, notching the equaliser just before the hour mark and an inspired free-kick to seal the three points in added time.

The brace against Orlando takes him to 898 career goals for club and country. He could easily hit the 900 mark in his next outing, with Inter Miami set to take on D.C. United this weekend.

He’s set to become only the fifth footballer in history to officially tally 900 goals, after wartime icon Ronnie Rooke, Czech legend Josef Bican, lesser-known German player Erwin Helmchen and – of course – his great rival Ronaldo.

Ronaldo scored the 900th goal of his career back in September 2024, in a Nations League clash between Portugal and Croatia.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has made no secret of his desire to reach 1000 official goals before he finally hangs up his boots. He’s currently on 965, with just 35 more to go.

“It’s hard to continue playing, but I ‌am motivated,” he said after receiving the award for the second consecutive year,” Ronaldo said when he was named ‌Best Middle East Player at the Globe Soccer ‌Awards in Dubai in December.

“My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in ‍the Middle East or Europe. I always enjoy playing football and ‍I ⁠want to ⁠keep going.

“You know what my goal is. I want to win trophies and I want to reach that number (1,000 goals) that you all know. I will reach the number for sure, if no injuries.”

Messi, on the other hand, is a bit more relaxed about the remaining years of his career.

“I don’t like to accelerate time or look ahead,” the Argentinian said after he joined Inter Miami.

“I try to enjoy every day. I hope I can keep playing at this level to feel good and be happy. When I get to do what I love I am happy.

“I value that more than reaching the 2026 [World Cup] tournament. I haven’t set a goal to reach the World Cup, but more so to live day-to-day and be well.”

But how do the stats behind Messi’s 900 goals compare to Ronaldo’s?

Messi currently on 898 goals from 1,139 games. It took Ronaldo 1,236 appearances to reach 900 goals.

He’s about a year younger than Ronaldo was when he scored his 900th goal, and could reach the milestone in just under a hundred fewer appearances.

If Messi scores twice against D.C. United next time out, he’ll have reached the 900-mark in exactly 96 fewer appearances than Ronaldo.

Given that, it’s conceivable that Messi could one day join Ronaldo in the 1000 club, or maybe even surpass his goalscoring tally by the time he hangs up his boots.

The Inter Miami star doesn’t appear quite as motivated by records or milestones, but he has recently extended his contract with the MLS outfit until 2028.

If he sees that through, he could easily score another hundred goals.