 "Lionel Messi during the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal match against LAFC. Image: Reuters")
Lionel Messi is no stranger to rewriting the record books, and this weekend could see him etch his name into Inter Miami’s history once again. The Argentine icon is on the brink of becoming the club’s all-time leader in goal contributions, set to surpass his former national teammate, Gonzalo Higuain.
Last weekend, Messi scored in Inter Miami ’s 2–1 win over Philadelphia Union, marking his 23rd goal for his team in Major League Soccer (MLS). Combined with his 20 assists, Messi has now contributed to 43 goals for the club, a figure that puts him level with former Argentine player Gonzalo Higuain.
What makes Messi’s tally even more remarkable is the efficiency with which he’s reached the milestone. While Higuain took 67 games to score 43 goals, Messi has matched that total in just 28 appearances since joining the club in 2023.
Top five Inter Miami players’ total goal contributions
| Player | Goal Contributions | Games Played |
|---|---|---|
| Gonzalo Higuain | 43 | 67 |
| Lionel Messi | 43 | 28 |
| Leonardo Campana | 36 | 80 |
| Luis Suarez | 34 | 32 |
| Robert Taylor | 28 | 90 |
With Inter Miami set to face Toronto FC this weekend, Messi has the perfect opportunity to claim the record. Given his current form, he is likely to achieve the feat in style early on Monday morning.
Messi has scored 855 goals in his career for both club and country. He is also the only player ever to win six European Golden Shoes. On top of that, he has won eight Ballon d’Or awards, most for any player.
Messi made a great comeback from injury, scoring just two minutes after coming off the bench in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union. He had been out with an injury and missed Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers during the international break.
Inter Miami face a series of tough games. They play LAFC on Thursday in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals. The side lost 1-0 in the first leg of the tournament on 3 April.