Back in South Florida after an emotional Argentina farewell at Buenos Aires’ Monumental de Núñez, Lionel Messi has returned to Inter Miami training with the MLS run-in waiting. The club host DC United on Saturday in the 28th round of the regular season, with Miami well placed for another trip into the playoffs.
Messi leaves the latest Argentina gathering having completed a national-team career that includes the World Cup and two Copa América titles. His club record, built across Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and now Miami, has left him with another landmark in sight: 1,000 official senior goals.
A route towards 1,000
The Argentine has scored 932 official goals in total, with 126 for his country and 806 at club level. Barcelona account for 672 of those club goals, followed by 32 at Paris Saint-Germain and 102 for Inter Miami.
His Miami return has been remarkably productive. Since arriving in 2023, Messi has registered 102 goals in 117 appearances, a rate of 0.87 per match. At that pace, he would need another 79 games to score the remaining 68 needed for the four-figure mark.
Inter Miami have seven regular-season fixtures left this year. Should they reach the MLS final, that schedule could grow by up to six playoff matches. Maintaining a high level for roughly two more seasons could put Messi in position to reach 1,000 goals in 2028, the year his current Miami contract is due to expire.
Miami’s unfinished continental business
There are still collective targets in the Florida chapter of Messi’s career. He helped Inter Miami win the MLS title last season, following the 2023 Leagues Cup triumph, and added the Copa dos Campeões this year.
The team sit third in the Eastern Conference on 46 points, with their playoff place looking secure. Messi leads the MLS scoring chart with 21 goals and is also the competition’s leading provider, having supplied 11 assists.
The major club trophy still missing from his Miami collection is the Concacaf Champions Cup. Miami were knocked out in the round of 16 this year and have not yet secured a place in the 2027 edition of the region’s leading club competition.
