Messi Approaches Major Goal Milestone as 2026 Begins

Lionel Messi is on the brink of yet another significant achievement as he kicks off the year 2026: his 900th professional goal.

Current Goal Tally

The celebrated forward currently has 896 goals across his illustrious career, featuring prominently for Argentina, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami. His latest performance culminated in Miami’s victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup on December 5, 2025.

With the new MLS season set to commence on February 21, there will be a brief wait before Messi can earn the additional four goals needed to reach the 900-goal mark. Argentina’s next match isn’t until March 27, when they face Spain in the Finalissima.

Presently, only Cristiano Ronaldo, who surpassed 900 career goals in September 2024, has reached this milestone among active footballers. The next closest active player is Robert Lewandowski, with 685 goals, indicating that it may be some time before anyone else joins this elite circle.

A Legendary Career

Messi’s scoring journey began in May 2005 when, as a fresh-faced teenager, he debuted for Barcelona during a league match against Albacete. He capped off a 2-0 victory by scoring his first professional goal.

Despite the high expectations placed on him from a young age, few could have predicted the extraordinary success that would follow. Two decades later, Messi continues to score at an exceptional rate, leaving fans and analysts speculating about the heights he could still reach.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s ongoing pursuit of 1,000 goals has garnered considerable attention, particularly as he approaches this target with just 50 goals to go. With Messi being about 2.5 years younger, it raises questions about whether he could ultimately finish his career with a higher goal total than the Portuguese star.

Breakdown of Messi’s Goals by Team

Unsurprisingly, Messi has scored the majority of his goals at Barcelona, where he became synonymous with success. His impressive record includes:

• Barcelona: 672 goals in 778 appearances
• Paris Saint-Germain: 32 goals in 75 matches
• Inter Miami: 77 goals in 88 games
• Argentina: 115 goals in 196 international matches

Total Goals

• Overall: 896 goals in 1,137 games

Goals by Season

Messi made his first-team debut for Barcelona in the 2004-05 season, where he scored just once in nine matches. His international debut came in March 2006, and Messi quickly established himself as a prolific scorer, hitting double digits in goals each subsequent season for the next 20 years.

His most remarkable season came in 2011-12 when he netted an astonishing 82 goals across all competitions. That year, he also became Barcelona’s all-time top scorer at just 24 years old. Notably, he went on to break the La Liga record for the most goals scored.

Throughout his two-decade career, Messi has consistently surpassed significant scoring milestones. He has achieved over 80 goals in a season once, over 60 goals three times, over 50 goals on eight occasions, and over 40 goals 14 times. From 2008-09 to 2020-21, he scored at least 30 goals for club and country for 13 consecutive seasons.

After a challenging start to his time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he scored 22 goals in his first season, Messi rebounded to net 37 goals in his second season, ultimately marking his legacy in European football.

Messi’s Impressive Records

Messi’s relentless quest for accolades has seen him achieve numerous records, including becoming Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer and achieving the most goals ever scored in a calendar year (91 goals in 2012). He also holds the record for the quickest to reach 100 Champions League goals.

As he continues to thrive into his late thirties, Messi has already made an indelible mark in Major League Soccer (MLS) following his move to Inter Miami, where he led the team to its first-ever trophy in 2023.

Future Prospects: Could Messi Reach 1,000 Goals?

Despite needing over 100 more goals to hit the 1,000 mark, Messi is well equipped to achieve this goal, as he remains under contract with Inter Miami until the end of the 2028 MLS season. Since joining MLS, he has averaged 36 goals per season.

Should he maintain this scoring rate, he could realistically approach his 1,000th career goal by the end of the 2028 season. However, factors concerning his international career remain uncertain, particularly with his involvement in the upcoming 2026 World Cup.

Comparing Goal Totals

As of now, Ronaldo boasts 957 career goals in 1,298 matches, while Messi stands at 896 goals in 1,137 appearances. If Ronaldo were to retire abruptly while Messi continued to play, he could potentially surpass Ronaldo’s tally by mid-2027.

Both Messi and Ronaldo have undeniably defined their era of football, with a combined 13 Ballon d’Or awards between them. Even at this stage in their careers, they continue to strengthen their legacies as two of the greatest players of all time.