Inter Miami’s Mascherano praises Lionel Messi as ‘unique’ as he approaches 900 career goals
Inter Miami’s head coach Javier Mascherano described Lionel Messi as “one of a kind” as the Argentine striker aims to achieve 900 career goals on Saturday night against D.C. United.
Messi currently has 898 goals since his professional debut with Barcelona on November 16, 2003.
“[I am] a privileged spectator, nothing more, nothing less,” Mascherano stated. “I haven’t played a significant role in his goal-scoring, neither through assists nor now as a coach. I’ve been fortunate to witness many of the goals he’s scored, much closer than most, and that’s a privilege. The figure we’re discussing [900] is remarkable, which is why Leo is truly one of a kind.”
The majority of Messi’s goals were scored during his tenure in La Liga with Barcelona, where he netted 672, followed by 79 at Inter Miami and 32 at Paris Saint-Germain. On the international stage, the reigning World Cup champion has tallied 115 goals for the Argentina national team.
His recent scoring achievements have propelled Messi to the 2025 MLS golden boot, where he scored 29 goals throughout the regular season, making him the league’s top scorer that year. He also received the 2025 MLS MVP award, becoming the first player to win the accolade in consecutive seasons.
Messi is well-acquainted with making history. The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient holds the world record for the most goals scored in a single calendar year, having netted 91 in 69 matches in 2012, with 79 for Barcelona and 12 for Argentina.
He is also recognized as the fastest player to reach 100 goals in the Champions League, accomplishing this feat in just 123 matches.
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Cristiano Ronaldo is the only active player to have reached the 900-goal milestone, achieving this in September 2024. Messi, however, ranks second among active players in total goals, with Robert Lewandowski in third place.
