Source: @Goal.com
Lionel Messi has a habit of making milestones look almost routine. His 100th goal for Inter Miami was anything but ordinary, though, as a rare headed finish against Cruz Azul helped secure the Campeones Cup and another piece of silverware for the club.
The 24th-minute goal in Miami’s 2-0 victory also moved Messi into another part of MLS history. He reached 100 goals for Inter Miami in 115 appearances across all competitions, with reports identifying that as the fastest any player has reached a century for a single MLS club. Josef Martínez previously held the mark after reaching 100 goals for Atlanta United in 125 appearances, while Robbie Keane needed 156 games to reach the same figure with LA Galaxy.
There is more to the number than the speed of it. Messi has been in Miami for a little over three years, yet 100 goals have already come across four different seasons. Inter Miami’s own breakdown puts his totals at 11 goals in 2023, 23 in 2024, 43 in 2025 and 23 so far in 2026.
Lionel Messi reaches 100 goals in the most Messi way possible
The goal itself was unusual. Luis Suárez created the opening with a cross from the byline, and Messi attacked the delivery rather than waiting for it to drop into his preferred shooting zone. At 5ft 7in, he rose above Willer Ditta and directed a diving header beyond Kevin Mier.
It was hardly the type of finish normally associated with Messi, whose greatest goals have so often come from his left foot, whether through a curling effort from outside the box or a close-range finish after moving through a crowded defence.
There was a nice piece of symmetry, too. Cruz Azul was the opponent when Messi scored his first Inter Miami goal in July 2023, finding the net with a stoppage-time free kick to win his debut 2-1 in the Leagues Cup. Three years later, the same opponent witnessed goal No. 100.
And Messi was not finished after reaching the century. His corner in the 81st minute found Casemiro, who headed Miami’s second goal into the far corner. That meant Messi directly contributed to both goals in a final that ended with Inter Miami lifting the Campeones Cup for the first time.
That is perhaps the more revealing part of the milestone. The 100 goals are impressive on their own, but Messi’s production has never been limited to finishing chances. His passing remains central to how Miami creates attacks, and his influence against Cruz Azul showed that again.
The wider numbers reinforce the point. Messi’s 100 goals have come alongside a substantial assist total, while his MLS production has already produced consecutive Landon Donovan MLS MVP awards in 2024 and 2025. He also won the 2025 MLS Golden Boot after scoring 29 league goals.
The Campeones Cup also took Messi to 49 major trophies in his senior career, extending his record as the most decorated player in men’s football. The collection spans his club and international career, from his Barcelona years and Argentina’s Copa América and World Cup triumphs to the silverware he has added in Miami.
Reaching that figure at 39 makes the latest achievement even more remarkable. Messi’s Inter Miami spell has now produced four trophies, while his personal record book continues to grow alongside the club’s.
There is an interesting historical angle to the record. Keane’s century for LA Galaxy was once the benchmark, before Martínez reduced the number of appearances required with Atlanta United. Messi has now taken that record considerably further, reaching the same goal total in 11 fewer appearances than Martínez and 41 fewer than Keane.
The way he reached it also says something about the longevity of his game. Messi is now 39, yet the 100th goal was followed by an assist and a trophy in the same match. His contribution is no longer built solely around the bursts of acceleration that defined his peak years at Barcelona. He can influence a final through movement, passing, set pieces and positioning, then still produce a finish when the opportunity presents itself.
For Inter Miami, the century also gives a neat bookend to a period that began with Messi scoring against Cruz Azul in his first appearance for the club. The first goal came from a free kick in stoppage time. The 100th came from a header in a final.
