The Herons were trailing 1-0 in the first half following a penalty scored by Josef Martinez, who was one of Messi’s first teammates in Miami back in 2023. Only six minutes after the Crew took the lead, Messi made sure to make things level.

Messi now needs just two more free kick goals to tie the all-time record. Just watch this absolute beauty of yet another piece of art by Leo:

Who has more career free kick goals than Lionel Messi?

Messi is chasing the record set by former Brazilian soccer player Marcelinho Carioca, who recorded 78 free kick goals throughout his career. But the Argentine star knows a thing or two about surpassing Brazilian players on this list.

Messi is already second behind Marcelinho Carioca, having overtaken the likes of Jair Rosa Pinto, Roberto Dinamite, and Juninho Pernambucano recently.

1. Marcelinho Carioca – 78 career free kick goals
2. Lionel Messi – 76
3. Jair Rosa Pinto – 74
4. Roberto Dinamite – 73
5. Juninho Pernambucano – 72

Key takeaways

• Lionel Messi scored his 76th career free kick against Columbus Crew in 2026.
• Just two goals separate the Argentine superstar from tying the all-time record.
• 78 free kick goals is the all-time record held by Marcelinho Carioca.

How to watch Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami in the USA

Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami will be available to watch exclusively on Apple TV in the United States. The MLS has moved all of its matches in 2026, with the former standalone MLS Season Pass replaced by an Apple TV subscription.

Can I watch Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami for free?

Yes, eligible new Apple TV subscribers can currently use a seven-day free trial before the subscription switches to the regular price of $14.99 per month in the United States.

Match Preview: What’s at stake?

Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami is a Matchday 28 Eastern Conference clash with very different implications for the two sides. Inter Miami enter the weekend in third place with 46 points, while Columbus sit 14th with 26 points.

Miami are therefore fighting to secure a top-four position and home-field advantage in the postseason, while the Crew are attempting to close the gap during the final stretch of the regular season.

The Crew arrive with some momentum after beating CF Montreal 2-0 on the road, with Mohammed Farsi and Brais Mendez scoring in the second half. That victory ended a two-game MLS losing streak and came shortly after Columbus defeated Orlando City 2-1 to secure a place and home-field rights in the 2026 US Open Cup Final. A result against the reigning MLS Cup champions would provide another boost as the Crew prepare for the final weeks of the campaign.

Inter Miami, meanwhile, are coming off a 2-2 draw with San Diego FC after recently lifting the Campeones Cup. Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored for the Herons, with Messi reaching 20 MLS goals for the season and Suarez moving to 13. Messi also leads the league with 33 goal contributions, while Rodrigo De Paul has recorded four goals and 12 assists during his first full MLS season.

What time is the Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami match?

The Columbus Crew vs Inter Miami match kicks off on Sunday, September 27, at 7:00 PM ET. For viewers in different regions of the United States, here are the local start times:

• Eastern Time: 7:00 PM
• Central Time: 6:00 PM
• Mountain Time: 5:00 PM
• Pacific Time: 4:00 PM

According to Inter Miami, nine Inter Miami players have been called up for the September and October international windows across senior and youth levels. However, Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul will participate in Inter Miami’s matches until October 6, when they play for Argentina against Benin.

However, they will lose against Columbus the following seven players who were called up by their countries:

• German Berterame (Mexico)
• Dayne St. Clair (Canada)
• Matias Galarza (Paraguay)
• Fricio Caicedo (Ecuador)
• Lovend’s Delinois (Haiti)
• Daniel Pinter (USA/U-20)
• Alexander Shaw (USA/U-19)

Messi available for a crucial match

Although Argentina will have prior games, Messi will only attend his farewell match on October 6 against Benin. From there, they will be able to be present for their respective matches, as is the case against Columbus Crew.

This match carries weight, as Inter Miami will look to earn three points again to stay near the top of the MLS Eastern Conference standings. The team needs a positive result to sustain its aspirations heading into the final stretch of the season and remain in contention for the top spot.

Columbus Crew, for their part, will have the opportunity to climb the table. A victory would be key to starting to leave behind the bottom spots of the conference and regaining ground in the competition.

How both teams enter the match

Columbus Crew are coming off a 2-0 victory against CF Montreal. With this result, they have seven wins, five draws, and 14 losses, placing them in 13th place.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami enter after a 2-2 draw with San Diego, where Lionel Messi scored a free-kick goal that brought him closer to breaking the record — a result that leaves them with 12 wins, 10 draws, and four losses in third place in the Eastern Conference.

With his performance at Nu Stadium against the California side, Lionel Messi now has 75 career free-kick goals, placing him in second place in soccer history for the statistic, with only one player having scored more.

Brazilian footballer Marcelinho Carioca is the all-time leader in free-kick goals with 78, achieved with clubs like Flamengo, Corinthians, and Santos in his native country. However, that mark is now well within reach for the Argentine star, as Messi is just three free-kick goals away from tying him and four from passing him.

Greats surpassed by Messi

Until recently, Messi trailed other Brazilian greats like Roberto Dinamite, Juninho Pernambucano, and Jair Rosa Pinto, who also surpassed 70 free-kick goals.

The historic list features massive names: Roberto Dinamite with 73 free-kick goals, Juninho Pernambucano with 72, Marcos Assuncao with 68, Sinisa Mihajlovic with 67, and Jorge Aravena with 65.

However, throughout this season, Messi has surpassed them during a campaign filled with free-kick goals, making it a regular expectation whenever Inter Miami play. It appears to be the best phase of his career — or one of the best — in this specific skill.

Messi’s race to 1,000 goals

Beyond his pursuit of Marcelinho Carioca, Messi also reached an incredible milestone with his goal against San Diego, hitting 930 total official goals in his career.

That total is currently the second-highest in soccer history, trailing only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who is also chasing 1,000 goals with 979 strikes to date.

Key takeaways

• 75 career free-kick goals were reached by Lionel Messi against San Diego FC.
• 78 free-kick goals make Marcelinho Carioca the all-time leader in soccer history.
• 930 total official goals trail only Cristiano Ronaldo’s 979 career strikes.

Early in the match, San Diego stunned Nu Stadium. Following a defensive lapse, Anders Dreyer slipped past the defense and charged toward the goalkeeper. The visitors’ Danish No. 10 delivered a clinical finish to open the scoring at 1-0 in the 12th minute.

Inter Miami went into halftime tied thanks to the free kick from Lionel Messi, which marked his 101st goal for the club. After reaching 100 goals with Inter Miami during their Campeones Cup victory against Cruz Azul, the Herons’ No. 10 continues to build on his stat sheet.

Messi’s season so far

Messi has recorded 20 goals in the 2026 MLS season for Inter Miami. The Argentine star leads the league in scoring, maintaining a dominant pace during the regular season ahead of the year’s decisive challenges.

The captain maintains a decisive presence in the Herons’ attack. His influence extends beyond scoring, as he has logged 11 assists in 22 matches played during the tournament, consolidating his role as the cornerstone of the Florida franchise.

Messi‘s regular-season performance keeps the Miami squad in contention for top spots in the Eastern Conference. Highlighted by memorable outings, including a four-goal performance against CF Montreal, the South American forward continues to display complete dominance in front of the net.

Now Inter Miami will look to finish the season on a strong note, aiming to enter the postseason as a solid contender in pursuit of winning the MLS title, while Messi inches closer to the 1,000-goal mark, sitting just 70 goals away.

Messi became the fastest player in MLS history to reach 100 goals for a single club across all competitions. Looking at the bigger picture, his output remains staggering—adding 55 assists in 144 total appearances as he continues to elevate his legacy in North America.

Having secured their first piece of silverware of the 2026 campaign, Messi and Inter Miami remain in pursuit of additional hardware this season. Expectations remain sky-high for the captain, especially following the announcement that he has been called up for Argentina’s international farewell tour.

Hitting the century mark in South Florida naturally sparked comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo’s scoring exploits with Al Nassr, as fans immediately began debating the two legends’ goal tallies following Messi’s latest milestone.

Messi’s records in the MLS

Since arriving at Inter Miami in the summer of 2023, Lionel Messi has shattered a series of league-wide and franchise records across Major League Soccer. Here is a look at his defining MLS marks:

• Most goal contributions in a single game (6): On May 4, 2024, against the New York Red Bulls, Messi recorded an unprecedented six goal contributions (1 goal, 5 assists) in a 6–2 rout.
• Most assists in a single match (5): In that same performance against New York, Messi set the single-game MLS assist record by setting up five goals.
• Most consecutive games with multiple goal contributions (5): Became the first player in MLS history to register multiple goals or assists in five straight regular-season matches (2024).
• Fastest player to 25 goal contributions: Needed just 12 regular-season appearances to reach 25 goal contributions (goals + assists), shattering the previous mark held by Carlos Vela (16 games).

Messi and his franchise records

Beyond his league-wide feats, Messi has firmly established himself as the foundational icon of Inter Miami CF. Here is the breakdown of his franchise records with the Herons:

• All-time leading goalscorer: The first player in club history to hit 100 goals across all official competitions.
• All-time assist leader: Holds the franchise record with 55+ assists across all competitions.
• Single-season points record: Spearheaded Inter Miami’s 2024 Supporters’ Shield triumph with a league-record 74 regular-season points.
• Most trophies with club: The most decorated player in franchise history, captaining Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 Supporters’ Shield, 2025 MLS Cup and 2026 Campeones Cup.

Make no mistake, Messi and Inter Miami are far from done. In fact, they could add even more silverware to their cabinets before the year comes to an end. The Herons haves struggled as of late, but perhaps Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez’s arrival with a trophy underneath his arm will change the course of the season.

As if the championship win over Cruz Azul wasn’t enough, Inter Miami have two more competitions up for grabs before the new year. What if the 2026 Campeones Cup, even if it doesn’t count as an official title, opened the floodgates for the Herons? Moving forward, Messi and company will be competing for the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.

How can Inter Miami win more titles in 2026?

The Supporters’ Shield is awarded to the MLS club that finishes the regular season with the best record, not just in either conference, but across the entire league. As things stand, Inter Miami have some work to do. Winless in their past three MLS outings, the Herons have lost a step in the race and are currently third in the Supporters’ Shield standings, nine points behind first-place Nashville SC.

As for the MLS Cup, Inter Miami could win it even if they don’t finish first overall or first in the Eastern Conference. All they need to do to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs is finish among the top eight teams in the East. The eighth and ninth seeds face off in a single-game wild-card round. Once in the playoffs, all Inter Miami need to do is win.

Messi and Inter Miami have won both trophies before

Messi and the Herons have fond memories of both cups they can still add to their résumé this season. In 2024, Inter Miami finished with the best record in MLS, taking home the Supporters’ Shield. In 2025, they righted their wrongs in the playoffs and won the MLS Cup. As a matter of fact, that win was what secured the Herons their berth in the 2026 Campeones Cup.

If they win the 2026 MLS Cup, Inter Miami would punch their ticket to the 2027 Campeones Cup and potential back-to-back championships. No team has ever achieved that so far.

Every trophy Messi has won with Inter Miami

Since his arrival in Miami back in July 2023, Messi has shattered records left to right and added even more silverware onto a crammed cabinet many believed had not one inch left available for more trophies. One way or another, Messi found a way to fit new cups into it.

Messi has won four titles with the Herons: Leagues Cup (2023), Supporters’ Shield (2024), MLS Cup (2025), and Campeones Cup (2026). The win over Cruz Azul at Nu Stadium extended Messi and Inter Miami’s title streak to four years in a row. Far from satisfied, they could add to the list with the titles up for grabs in the domestic stage.

Well, the Portuguese star had already surpassed that number in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo boasts 132 goals in an Al Nassr jersey across all competitions.

The Messi vs Ronaldo App, which details every single stat of the soccer legends, shows that CR7 reached that number of goals in 155 appearances for the Riyadh-based club.

Messi, meanwhile, reached the 100th goal mark in 115 games in South Florida. The Argentine icon can also take pride in providing 56 assists for Inter Miami, which top Ronaldo’s 23 assists for Al Nassr.

Messi vs Ronaldo: The race to 1,000 career goals

Looking at the bigger picture, Messi also took another step forward in the quest for 1,000 career goals. With his header against Cruz Azul, Messi reached 929 career goals.

Ronaldo is on pace to reaching the 1,000th goal mark sooner though, as the Al Nassr superstar has 979 career goals to his name. Ronaldo reached that number in a recent Saudi Pro League fixture vs. Abha.

Messi vs Ronaldo: Headers

Messi’s goal against Cruz Azul was also his sixth header with Inter Miami and 31st in his entire career. Ronaldo boasts 17 headers for Al Nassr and 158 throughout his career, but the difference here is completely logical. Let’s keep in mind that Messi is 5’7″, whereas CR7 is 6’2”. Even so, the Argentine star’s height hasn’t prevented him from winning aerial duels throughout his career.

Messi vs Ronaldo: Titles after European stints

Messi’s header and eventual assist for Casemiro led Inter Miami’s 2-0 win over Cruz Azul to lift the 2026 Campeones Cup, which is Leo’s fourth title in the United States after the 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield, and 2025 MLS Cup. The Campeones Cup has a question mark though since FIFA doesn’t recognize it as an official title. But Messi can still win more trophies with Inter Miami in 2026.

Something similar happens with Ronaldo as the 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup won by Al Nassr doesn’t count as an official title by FIFA. But Cristiano then won the 2025-26 Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr.

It’s not often Messi scores goals with his head. Whenever he does, however, it’s always in important games. The 2026 Campeones Cup, though not considered an official title by FIFA and Concacaf, was no different.

Once again, in a final, Messi rose to the occasion—literally. Just like he did in the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League final with Barcelona against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Manchester United. What better way for Messi to score his 100th goal for Inter Miami? As for his personal tally, it was Messi’s 925th goal. With Messi’s record against Liga MX clubs on the line, the Argentine magician took matters into his own hands.

Roles reversed

There wasn’t much Cruz Azul‘s players could do. All week, they had been preparing for certain looks on attack from Inter Miami, mainly Messi crossing balls into the box in search of Luis Suarez’s head. They had no plans if the roles were reversed.

Thus, when Suarez was the one who put a cross into the penalty box, who would’ve imagined Messi was going to be on the receiving end? Messi was faster to the ball than the defenders, and at point-blank range, there was no way he would miss the net.

Messi chases his fourth title with Inter Miami

Since arriving in Miami, Messi has won three trophies. His first was the 2023 Leagues Cup, followed by the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the 2025 MLS Cup. The 2026 Campeones Cup wouldn’t be quite as prestigious as the other championships, but it would extend Messi and the Herons’ streak to four straight years with trophies won.

Although fans wonder if the 2026 Campeones Cup counts as an official title or not, the Herons didn’t care about that technicality. All they cared about was delivering in front of their fans and securing the first trophy of the year. Far from done, Messi and Inter Miami can still win more titles in 2026.

A loss would not only have stained “Kily” Gonzalez’s debut in Inter Miami but also left a mark on Messi’s personal record against Liga MX clubs. Mission accomplished in every sense. Thanks to two headers from Messi and Casemiro, the Herons took down Cruz Azul in Miami, and hoisted yet another trophy, the fourth since Messi signed with Inter Miami in July 2023. As for the Mexican team, Cruz Azul fell in the Campeones Cup for the second time (2021).

Messi will captain Inter Miami against Cruz Azul today. A victory would give the Argentine superstar his fifth trophy with the Herons, though it represents a unique opportunity to claim non-official silverware on US soil.

With kickoff times and broadcast details now locked in for US viewers, both fanbases are eagerly awaiting to see which club will add another piece of hardware to its trophy case.

Messi has consistently tormented Liga MX opposition throughout his time in North America. Furthermore, he sits on the brink of another historic milestone, closing in on his 100th career goal for Inter Miami since arriving in the summer of 2023.

Lineups for Inter Miami and Cruz Azul

While Inter Miami feature a star-studded attack headlined by Messi and Luis Suarez, Cruz Azul boast plenty of firepower of their own heading into the Campeones Cup.

Here is how both clubs will line up for today’s match, where a win, tie or loss will have different implications for Inter Miami or Cruz Azul.

Inter Miami’s lineup: Dayne St. Clair; Facundo Mura, Casemiro, Maximiliano Falcon, Fricio Caicedo; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, Matias Galarza; Lionel Messi, German Berterame, Luis Suarez.

Cruz Azul’s lineup: Kevin Mier, Willer Ditta, Jesus Orozco Chiquete, Erik Lira, Carlos Rotondi, Jeremy Marquez, Amaury Garcia, Carlos Rodriguez, Jose Paradela, Nicolas Ibanez, Agustin Palavecino.