On Thursday night, Inter Miami defeated Cavalier 2-0, and, coupled with a 2-0 victory in the first leg, secured their qualification for the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Lionel Messi scored one of the goals in what was his first visit to Jamaica, marking another milestone by adding the Caribbean nation to the list of countries where he has scored.
Messi has now found the back of the net in 36 different countries during his 21-year professional career. It is important to note that this statistic includes goals scored both with clubs and with the Argentina national team.
The country where the forward has scored the most goals is, unsurprisingly, Spain. There, he spent the majority of his career with FC Barcelona from 2004 to 2021, amassing 549 goals. This means that nearly 65% of Messi’s 853 professional goals were scored in Spain.
In second place is the United States, where Leo has netted 55 goals. He has spent almost two years with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer and also played numerous matches with Argentina, including the 2016 and 2024 Copa America tournaments, in which he was crowned champion.
Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a gol for Inter Miami.
Completing the podium is, naturally, Argentina. Although Messi never played for a club in his home country, he has represented the national team for two decades, featuring in South American World Cup qualifiers and the 2011 Copa America. On Argentine soil, Messi has scored 35 goals, often with the passionate support of his fans.
see also
Messi’s first Argentina coach reveals true story of how they prevented Lionel from playing for Spain
Messi leaves his mark in France
In addition to Barcelona and Inter Miami, Lionel Messi also had a professional stint at Paris Saint-Germain. While his time in France was less than ideal, lasting only two years, he still managed to leave a mark, scoring 34 goals there.
Other countries where Messi has excelled
As expected, the countries where Messi has played for club teams or with the national team top the list. However, the Argentina forward has also left an indelible mark in other countries he visited. Leading this list is Brazil, where Messi scored 9 goals while representing Argentina in two Copa America tournaments and one World Cup. He netted the same number of goals in England.
Then comes Qatar, a nation that will forever hold special significance for Messi, as it was the site of his World Cup victory. In Qatar, the forward scored 8 goals, 7 of which came during the 2022 World Cup.
Finally, there are four countries where Messi has scored only once: Jamaica—his most recent addition to the list after his goal against Cavalier this week— Denmark, Greece, and China.
