Can Lionel Messi reach 1000 goals before his new contract expires in 2028? | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken candidly about his ambition to reach 1000 goals. But can his old rival Lionel Messi achieve the same feat?

It’s certainly possible if he sees through the bumper new contract he’s signed at Inter Miami, which runs until 2028.

It’ll be interesting to see how things play out for Messi in this final period of his career, but he still sounds energised and enthusiastic about achieving things with his current club.

“It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality – playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park,” said Messi in the announcement.

“Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here.”

“Our vision was to bring the best players to Inter Miami and to this city, and that’s exactly what we have done. We brought the best player to have ever played the game to our city,” David Beckham, Inter Miami’s co-owner, added.

“That shows our commitment to Miami, but it also shows Leo’s commitment to the city, to the club, and to the game. He’s still as committed as he’s ever been and he still wants to win.”

This is expected to be the last contract of Messi’s professional career. If he sees it through and keeps going until it expires at the end of the 2028 MLS campaign, he’ll be 41 years old.

How many goals can he score by then? We’ve taken a closer look at how many goals he could score by the time his new contract expires.

— At the time of writing, Messi is currently on 889 career goals. He’d need 111 more in just over three years to reach the magical 1000-goal milestone.

— Messi has scored 39 goals for club and country in the calendar year of 2025 so far.

— He’s got up to five more matches to play in the MLS Cup this year. When you consider he’s in fine form, with five goals in his last two outings for Inter Miami, he could easily end the year with somewhere in the region of 45 goals.

— The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner can certainly reach the 1000-goal milestone if he can keep up his recent levels until the very end. He’d be required to average around 37 goals in each of the next three calendar years to make it before the end of 2028.

— However, that’s assuming that he’ll be able to maintain his current levels as he hits 40 and beyond. That’s a big ask. In 2024, for example, he scored just 29 after a year hit by injuries.

— There’s also the question of his international future. It would be a surprise if Messi keeps on playing for Argentina beyond the 2026 World Cup next summer, so that’ll impact his game time and potential goals.

— But just two of Messi’s total 39 goals this calendar year have been for Argentina, so the impact won’t be too great. And if he does retire from international football, it’s likely he won’t be rested and rotated as much for Inter Miami.

— There’s also the question of whether he’ll actually see out the contract in full and continue playing past his 41st birthday. He’s financially set, sounds more than satisfied with everything he’s achieved in football. Who knows what the future holds in terms of injuries and his physical capabilities? Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool showed that not every contract is seen out.