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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 each time he steps on the field.
On Saturday night, Messi has a chance to add another thrilling chapter to his seemingly endless legend, which began in Barcelona 21 years ago, when he takes on Nashville SC in game two of their first-round playoff matchup. Stat keepers will be hawking his next several games, with Messi nine goals shy of scoring 900 professional goals in his illustrious, globe-trotting career.
Until he reaches that 900 mark, which he almost certainly will do for Inter Miami after signing a contract extension through 2028, or breaks the internet with another otherworldly performance, the following are New Times’ rankings of Messi’s top 10 moments in a pink jersey:
10. Broke Apple TV’s Viewer Numbers
The mere mention of Messi’s name on a team sheet can draw millions of viewers, so it’s not all that surprising that he broke Apple TV’s record for most-watched sporting event during his MLS playoff debut in October 2024, according to USA Today. He provided the game-winning assist against Atlanta United that night.
9. Became Inter Miami’s All-Time Leading Scorer
In another record that shocked exactly zero soccer stat-keepers, Messi became Inter Miami’s leading scorer just over a year after joining in the summer of 2023. He’s now the leading goal scorer for F.C. Barcelona and Inter Miami, surpassing fellow Argentine Gonzalo Higuaín’s 29 goals with a hat trick for the young club against the New England Revolution last year.
8. Recorded the Most Assists in an MLS Game
According to the internationally respected soccer stat keepers at Transfermarkt, Messi has recorded 376 assists from his time playing for clubs in Barcelona, Paris, and now Miami. That’s a number any professional playmaker would be thrilled to reach over a decades-long career. Your boots don’t reach that feat without a few multi-assist games, but what Messi pulled off in Inter Miami’s 6-2 win over the New York Red Bulls was absurd: five assists and a goal.
7. Scored a Free Kick in 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 67 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 for many. If you’re Messi, it’s only the seventh-best moment of his waning career.
Watch Messi electrify Inter Miami fans in his first appearance with a last-minute free-kick goal against Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup, which Inter Miami went on to win.
6. Led First MLS Team to the Club World Cup Knockouts
One of Messi’s many headlines from the summer centered on his involvement in the expanded Club World Cup, organized by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Soccer fans around the globe largely assumed teams from the U.S. wouldn’t make it very far in the tournament, which pits the world’s best club teams against one another in rarely seen match-ups. But Inter Miami became the first MLS team to qualify for the knockout round, thanks to impressive performances against titans of Portuguese and Brazilian soccer.
5. Won 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, marking his ninth shiny shoe, by scoring a record 39 goals this year. 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.
4. Won the 2024 MLS MVP Title
Messi’s ever-growing personal trophy cabinet expanded last year, as he claimed his tenth MVP title (he won nine in Spain and one in the U.S.). He may need to make a trip to the Sweetwater Ikea soon because he’s considered a front-runner to win the award again this year.
3. Signed 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, next year.
In the eyes of the sporting world, it could mean the man widely considered the best athlete ever to touch a soccer ball has decided to play his final games in Miami.
2. Won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield
In his first full season with Miami since joining mid-year in 2023, Messi led the team to winning 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 conception.
1. Won Inter Miami’s First Trophy in 2023
Thousands of professional clubs around the globe have never lifted a single trophy in their decades of existence. So 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 10 goals in seven games, including the go-ahead goal in the final against Nashville.
Messi and co. have a chance to add a third title this year after qualifying for the MLS playoffs. Inter Miami grabbed the first game of their best-of-three against Nashville last week, with Messi netting twice, including the stoppage-time winner. Nashville hosts Miami in game two Saturday.
