On video: goal number 100 and title number 49, Messi writes a new chapter on a magical night with Inter Miami
Cruz Azul, protagonist of a thrilling twist in the centenary
Lionel Messi continued to make history in the United States, leading Inter Miami to the "Campeones Cup" title with a 2-0 win over Mexico's Cruz Azul. The night carried a new, exceptional milestone in the Argentine star's career.
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute. He then teed up Brazilian teammate Casemiro for the second from a corner in the 81st minute, guiding his team to another title and once again proving he turns up on the big occasions.
The 100th goal
Just 115 matches with Inter Miami. That is all Messi needed to reach 100 goals in all competitions, the fastest rate at any club he has represented across his entire career.
Irony laced the goal itself. He pounced on a pass from his former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez to head home, then later sealed the win by setting up Casemiro.
The symmetry is striking. Messi scored his first goals in an Inter Miami shirt against this very same Cruz Azul, finding the net from a free kick in July 2023. Now his 100th has come against the same Mexican side more than three years later.
49 titles in his career
This triumph pushed Messi's tally to 49 titles with clubs and country, cementing his place as the most decorated player in the history of football.
Five of those trophies have arrived since he swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Inter Miami in 2023.
Messi led Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup title in 2023, just weeks after his debut. He then helped the club win the Supporters' Shield in 2024, when they broke the record for points in a single MLS season with a tally of 74, before lifting the MLS Cup last season.
Faster than Barcelona and Argentina
Reaching 100 goals in 115 matches, Messi outpaced every team and national side he had previously played for.
He needed 188 matches with Barcelona to reach 100 goals, compared to 174 matches with the Argentina national team.
His 100 goals with Inter Miami came across various competitions: 76 in MLS, 14 in the Leagues Cup, 8 in the CONCACAF Champions League and one in the Club World Cup, plus his goal in the Campeones Cup.
Messi out in front
Across his career, Messi has now scored 929 goals for club and country. He is still shining at domestic level too, with 19 goals in 22 MLS matches this season to top the scoring charts.
Casemiro spoke about his teammate after the match: "We must enjoy him, because we don't know how long that will last. What he has done and what he is still doing for football is unbelievable."
The former Real Madrid player added: "He is still the best, he proved it at the World Cup, and he continues to prove it in MLS."
Messi announced his retirement from international football at the end of August. His final match with Argentina is set for 6 October in the capital Buenos Aires, and he continues to chase more records and titles in the final chapter of his exceptional career.
