“We are prepared and very excited” - Lionel Messi ready to lead Inter Miami’s ‘fight’ for first-ever MLS Cup

Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates are excited for the MLS Cup playoffs. The Herons will lock horns with Atalanta at the Chase Stadium on Friday, October 25, for round one of the playoffs.

With the diminutive magician charging them on, the Florida-base club finished at the top of the Eastern Conference League this season. They won the Supporters' Shield, registering an MLS record 74 points.

Messi has been key to the club's rise this season and has already helped them win the first two silverware of their history. Inter Miami also lifted the Leagues Cup last season.

Speaking recently, as cited by GOAL, the indomitable Argentinean insisted that the Herons are ready for the playoffs.

"We will try as we have been trying all this year. I think we are prepared and very excited for this moment that we are going through in these play-offs that are coming, and well, we will fight to try to get it," said Lionel Messi.

The 37-year-old has transformed the Florida side since arriving at the Chase Stadium as a free agent. David Beckham played a key role in signing Lionel Messi last year after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) expired.

The move has already paid off. Inter Miami have enjoyed a meteoric rise on the pitch, but the Argentinean's arrival has had a financial impact as well. The Herons have registered record revenues after his arrival, while they have also signed lucrative deals with multiple sponsors.

How many goals has Lionel Messi scored in his career?

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi has scored 849 goals in his career so far and is just 51 goals shy of the 900-goal mark. Of these, 33 have been scored for Inter Miami from 36 games, making him the club's all-time record goalscorer.

A bulk of the Argentinean's goals have been scored during his time with Barcelona. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner spent 17 seasons at Camp Nou, registering 672 goals from 778 games.

He joined the Parisians in the summer of 2021 and went on to score 32 goals from 75 games. Messi has also registered 112 goals from 189 games for Argentina, including 13 goals from 26 games in the FIFA World Cup.

La Pulga recently achieved the feat of being the only footballer in the world to be the top scorer for three teams, Inter Miami, Barcelona, and Argentina, Cristiano Ronaldo previously held the record as the top scorer for two teams - Real Madrid and Portugal.