The milestone Lionel Messi had never achieved, now checked off at 38 | OneFootball

Inter Miami is three days away from their match against Charlotte FC at the Bank of America Stadium. The Herons must achieve a victory if they want to keep being a contender for the Supporters Shield trophy.

However, Miami will not face an easy task, as the Crown arrives on Saturday night with an eight-game winning streak. Nevertheless, Lionel Messi will be available for this match after his commitment to the Argentinian national squad.

The Heron's captain will step into the Bank of America with a performance boost after achieving a record he has never achieved before.

Lionel Messi finished as the top scorer of the South American World Cup qualifiers.

For the first time in his 20-year career, La Pulga achieved the milestone of becoming the competition’s goalscorer. It is difficult to think that he has never done it before, but it's true.

Hernan Crespo was the last Argentine player to achieve this record ahead of the 2002 World Cup. Messi ended the qualifiers with eight goals, while his runner-ups, Luis Diaz (Colombia) and Miguel Terceros (Bolivia), ended up with seven goals.

The Herons’ captain scored against Venezuela (2), Bolivia (3), Perú (2), and Ecuador (1).

Remarkably, Messi accomplished this feat at 38 years old, making him the oldest player ever.

However, the best part of this record is the way he accomplished it. When Argentina was struggling, he carried the team on his shoulders and led them to qualify as one of the first national teams, aside from the hosts, for this competition.

In his final World Cup qualifiers, Messi checked off a long-awaited milestone from his career objectives. While also playing as he always did.

Now, Inter Miami’s number ten is ready to face his next challenge: win the MLS Cup with the Herons.