Lionel Messi scored a brilliant brace to lead Inter Miami to a 3-2 away victory over Columbus Crew in Week 36 of the MLS regular season. His second goal came from a free-kick, once again showcasing the Argentine’s trademark magic. With this, Messi extends his record over Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi now has 66 free-kick goals, with Ronaldo trailing at 64. In total, Messi has scored 843 goals, still behind the Portuguese star’s 904. However, Messi maintains a better goals-per-game ratio (0.78 compared to Ronaldo’s 0.77).
Despite missing 15 games this season due to injuries and international duty, Messi has registered 17 goals and 10 assists in just 17 appearances. He leads the team in assists and is their second-highest scorer, just behind Luis Suarez, who has 18 goals.
Suarez also found the net in Miami’s win over Crew, helping secure the Supporters’ Shield as the team with the most points overall during the regular season (68). If they win their two remaining matches, they could break the record for the highest points in a single regular season, surpassing the 73 points made by New England in 2021.
“Very proud of this team, we keep pushing forward with the desire to achieve more together!!” Messi wrote on his Instagram account following their win on Wednesday. Their next matches are against Toronto (Oct. 5) and New England (Oct. 19).
Messi adds another title with Inter Miami
After Inter Miami’s 3-2 victory over Columbus Crew, Messi added the Supporters’ Shield to his already extensive trophy collection, bringing his total to 46 team titles, further extending his advantage over Ronaldo.
Meanwhile, Miami have also moved closer to securing a spot in the upcoming 2025 Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States. The MLS has one slot available for its teams, and as Supporters’ Shield champions, Miami might have clinched a ticket. However, this spot could also go to the MLS Cup champion.