Can another free‑kick lift Inter Miami to a win? Lionel Messi curled a dead‑ball strike past San Diego FC, earning the Argentine a spot in a 2‑2 draw that also featured Luis Suárez on the scoresheet.
The tally marked Messi’s 75th career free‑kick, nudging him past Brazil’s Jair, who sat on 74, and vaulting him into outright second on the all‑time list. It also pushed his overall haul to 930 goals for club and country.
Only retired Brazilian Marcelinho Carioca remains ahead, with 78 strikes. Messi needs just four more to eclipse the record. The top five rounds out with Roberto Dinamite on 73 and Juninho on 72.
Inter Miami travel to face Columbus Crew on Sunday. Afterward, Messi joins Argentina for the international break, where he’ll play his farewell match against Benin on October 6.
A free‑kick threat that has spanned four clubs.
For my money, Messi’s free‑kick arsenal is the most versatile weapon of his era, spreading goals across every stop rather than clustering at a single club.
Raphinha’s hat‑trick for Barcelona gave the Brazilian a rare feat Messi never achieved.
Fifty of those strikes came while he wore Barcelona’s shirt, another 12 arrived for Argentina, 11 have been netted with Inter Miami, and two were scored during his brief Paris Saint‑Germain stint.
Messi’s sprint toward 1,000 goals runs alongside Ronaldo’s chase. Will the Argentine finally join the 1,000‑goal club before the Portuguese?
Messi’s 930 career goals still trail his long‑time rival. Cristiano Ronaldo sits on 979, just 21 shy of becoming the first player to hit the 1,000‑goal milestone.
At his current pace, Ronaldo is the clear favorite to reach that mark first, while Messi would need 70 more just to close the gap. Ronaldo has logged 24 or more goals in all but one of the past 22 seasons, a consistency that keeps the milestone within reach even at 41.