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Lionel Messi has broken a record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo, as outlined by Pulse Sports. The Argentine icon became Inter Miami's all-time leading goal-scorer following his hat-trick during their 6-2 win against New England Revolution on Saturday (October 19).
The diminutive magician is now the first player in the history of football to have scored the most goals for three teams. Messi is also Barcelona and Argentina's leading goal-scorer.
The accolade was previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the record goal-scorer for two teams — Portugal and Real Madrid. The 39-year-old has scored 133 times in 216 games for his country and also has 450 goals in 438 outings for Los Blancos. The Portuguese legend recently made news by crossing the 900-goal mark in his career.
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Meanwhile, Messi has scored 672 goals in 778 games for Barcelona and 112 goals in 189 appearances for Argentina.
The 37-year-old joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 and helped them lift the Leagues Cup last year. He has been indispensable for them this season as well, registering 22 goals and 12 assists from 22 games, and helping them winning the MLS Supporters' Shield.
On Saturday, the Argentinean came off the bench to inspire the Herons to a 6-2 win over New England Revolution. Lionel Messi scored a second-half hat-trick to take his tally for the Florida-based club to 33 goals from 36 games. In the process, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner surpassed previous record holder Leonardo Campana, who had registered 32 goals from 98 games.
Can Lionel Messi surpass Cristiano Ronaldo's goal-scoring feat?
Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most potent goal-scorers in the history of the game. The Portuguese icon now has 907 goals from 1245 games across competitions in his career.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022 and has continued his goal-scoring exploits in the Middle East. Cristiano Ronaldo has scored nine goals and set up three more in 10 games this season for the Saudi club.
His contract with Al-Nassr expires at the end of this season, but recent reports have suggested that he could sign an extension soon. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has shown no signs of slowing down with Inter Miami either.
La Pulga now has 849 goals in 1078 games across competitions, 58 shy of his arch-rival, having played 167 games less. The Argentine legend is now gearing up for the MLS Cup playoffs and is expected to continue for a few years. As such, the world will be waiting in hushed anticipation to see if the diminutive magician can surpass Ronaldo by the time their careers end.
