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While Inter Miami CF has played only six seasons as one of Major League Soccer’s (MLS) fledgling programs, its talisman and captain, Lionel Messi, continues to rack up records and stellar displays of athleticism nearly every time he steps on the field.
On Wednesday, he reached another rare milestone. In a match against Nashville SC, Messi bagged his 900th goal, further cementing his legacy and raising his home team’s profile even higher. Until he snags a 49th trophy or breaks the internet with another feat, here are New Times’ picks for Messi’s ten best moments in a pink jersey.
10. Scoring a Free Kick in His Debut
Messi’s career is filled with stunning free kicks, where he seemingly bends the ball to his will over human walls and past keepers. And while he’s scored hundreds of goals, including 70 free kicks for various clubs, burying your nerves to score on your debut for a new team — let alone a free kick goal — is a career-defining moment.
9. Leading the First MLS Team to the Club World Cup Knockouts
One of Messi’s many headlines this summer centered on his involvement with the expanded Club World Cup, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Soccer fans around the globe largely assumed U.S. teams wouldn’t make it very far in the tournament, which pits the world’s best club teams against each other in rarely seen match-ups. But Inter Miami became the first MLS team to qualify for the knockout round, thanks to impressive performances against the titans of Portuguese and Brazilian soccer.
8. Winning the 2025 MLS Golden Boot
Messi had another prolific season in 2025 and added to his collection of Golden Boots, a trophy given in most national soccer leagues to the top scorer each year. He secured the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, his ninth shiny shoe, by scoring a record 39 goals. Messi overtook Argentine legends Atilio García, who won eight in Uruguay’s first division; Alfredo Di Stéfano, who won one in Argentina, two in Colombia, and five in Spain; and Carlos Bianchi, with three in Argentina and five in France, according to World Soccer Talk.
7. Winning the 2025 MLS MVP Title
Messi’s ever-growing trophy cabinet expanded last year, as he claimed his 11th MVP title (nine in Spain and two in the U.S.). He may need to make a trip to the Sweetwater Ikea at the end of the year, because he’s considered a front-runner to win again this year.
6. Signing What Could Be His Final Contract
The club captain further cemented his status as an Inter Miami legend last week when he signed a contract extension keeping him in South Florida until at least the end of the 2028 season. The extension means he’ll likely be on the field when Inter Miami opens Miami Freedom Park, its new $1 billion stadium development, next year.
It also holds special significance for soccer fans, who know this could mean the man widely considered the best athlete ever to touch a soccer ball has decided to play his final games in Miami.
5. Recording the Most Goals Contributions in MLS Playoff History
Messi had the most prolific set of performances in the history of MLS playoffs, scoring six times and setting up nine assists on the way to the final. The 38-year-old playmaker started all six of Inter Miami’s playoff games, failing to score or assist in only two of those matches. In the round-one best-of-three series against Nashville SC, he recorded five goals and three assists; he recorded one goal and three assists in the conference semifinal against FC Cincinnati; and then recorded two assists in the final, where he also claimed the match MVP award.
4. Scoring His 900th Career Goal
Messi on Wednesday reached a milestone only one other professional soccer player has reached when he scored his 900th career goal in 1,141 matches. The tally includes 672 goals for FC Barcelona, 115 for the Argentinian national team, 81 for Inter Miami, and 32 for Paris Saint-Germain. He comes in second all-time, only behind longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
3. Winning the 2024 Supporters’ Shield
In his first full season with Miami since joining mid-year in 2023, Messi led the team to its first Supporters’ Shield for having the best regular season record. The trophy is separate from the playoff final. It was the club’s second trophy overall, won only four years after the club’s launch.
2. Winning Inter Miami’s First Trophy in 2023
Thousands of professional clubs around the world have never lifted a single trophy in their decades of existence. The fact that Inter Miami won its first title, the Leagues Cup, as a three-year-old club likely turned entire cities green with envy.
Messi was on fire during the tournament, an annual competition between MLS and Mexican teams from Liga MX, scoring ten goals in seven games, including the go-ahead goal in the final against Nashville.
1. Winning Inter Miami’s First MLS Cup
Messi’s finest moment in the pink jersey came in December 2025, when he led the team to its first MLS Cup Championship. The captain led by example throughout the playoffs, recording six goals and nine assists on the way to the final, where he bagged two assists in a thrilling 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at home in Fort Lauderdale at Chase Stadium.
