Lionel Messi's Stunning Goal for Inter Miami Ahead of His Argentina Farewell Brings Him Closer to New Historic Soccer Records

The Argentine superstar scores the 931st goal of his career ahead of his farewell with the Albiceleste, while closing in on new milestones in his remarkable career.

Lionel Messi Scores Stunning Free Kick in MLS, but Inter Miami Lose to Columbus Crew

Lionel Messi scored another spectacular goal for Inter Miami, but his performance was not enough to prevent a 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew in MLS. The Argentine superstar also reached another career milestone ahead of his expected farewell with the Argentina national team.

THE STUNNING GOAL

Lionel Messi scored the 931st goal of his career with a spectacular free kick from the right side of the field. The Inter Miami captain struck the ball with his left foot, looking for a curling shot that caught goalkeeper Patrick Schulte by surprise.

Schulte could not prevent the ball from finding the far corner near the second post as Messi brought Inter Miami level at 1-1.

Messi's goal came after Josef Martínez converted a penalty, but Inter Miami were unable to hold on to the result. In stoppage time, Jamal Thiaré scored the decisive goal to give Columbus Crew a 2-1 victory, handing the Florida club a defeat in its final match before the international break.

After the match, Messi will travel to join Argentina, with the Albiceleste preparing for the forward's farewell.

WHAT NEW RECORD IS LIONEL MESSI CHASING AFTER HIS STUNNING GOAL?

Messi's goal against Columbus Crew allowed him to continue climbing the list of the greatest free-kick scorers in soccer history, one of the specialties that has defined his career.

According to the statistical record used for this comparison, Messi now has 76 free-kick goals in his career, leaving him just two behind Marcelinho Carioca, who has 78.

The goal once again showcased one of Messi's most dangerous weapons. Although the position of the free kick could have suggested a cross into the penalty area, the Inter Miami captain went directly for goal, curling the ball over the opposing goalkeeper.

The Argentine continues to add to his impressive tally of free-kick goals during his MLS career.

CRISTIANO RONALDO ISN'T ALONE: MESSI IS ALSO CHASING 1,000 GOALS

Messi's 931st career goal also keeps alive one of the biggest statistical storylines in world soccer: the race to 1,000 career goals.

Using the same statistical criteria, Cristiano Ronaldo has 979 goals, while Messi reached 931 following his strike against Columbus Crew.

That leaves Messi 69 goals away from reaching 1,000, while Ronaldo needs 21 more.

The comparison also highlights a significant difference in assists. The statistical record consulted credits Messi with 424 assists and Cristiano Ronaldo with 261, although those figures can vary depending on the methodology used by different statistical databases.

DEFEAT AND TENSE MOMENT AHEAD OF MESSI'S ARGENTINA FAREWELL

Inter Miami's defeat also featured a tense moment involving Messi and Santiago Rodríguez. During the match, the two players exchanged words after the Argentine committed a foul on the Uruguayan midfielder.

It was not the first confrontation between the two. Messi and Rodríguez previously had a heated exchange in 2023, when the Uruguayan was playing for New York City FC. This time, the incident occurred during another match that ended in defeat for the Miami side.

With his 931st career goal, Messi wrapped up his latest appearance for Inter Miami before joining the Argentina national team.

The result against Columbus Crew did not match his individual performance, but the forward once again produced one of his trademark moments: a stunning free-kick goal.

Now, the focus turns to Messi and Argentina as the captain prepares for his expected farewell at the Monumental Stadium. At 39 years old, the Argentine continues to add goals and historic milestones to a career that still has major statistical targets ahead, including the possibility of reaching the 1,000-goal mark.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM MESSI'S STUNNING GOAL AHEAD OF HIS ARGENTINA FAREWELL

MESSI'S 931ST GOAL: He scored a spectacular free kick for Inter Miami in their 2-1 loss to Columbus Crew.
HISTORIC RECORDS: He reached 76 career free-kick goals and remains on the path toward 1,000 career goals, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
ON HIS WAY TO ARGENTINA: Following the defeat and his exchange with Santiago Rodríguez, Messi traveled to join the Argentina national team.