Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo both found the net this week. Messi scored twice for Inter Miami in a big win over DC United. That took his career goal total to 934. He is now 68 goals away from 1,000.
Ronaldo also scored for Al-Nassr. His goal came against Diriyah in the Saudi Pro League. It was his 980th career goal. He needs just 20 more to reach 1,000.
Messi’s first goal came early in the second half. The score was already 2-0. He tapped in a cross from close range. Later, in the 60th minute, a loose ball came to him near the box. He dribbled past defenders and finished softly. The goalkeeper could not stop it. Messi was then taken off with the game already decided. It was his 23rd goal of the MLS season.
Ronaldo’s goal was simpler. A shot was saved by the goalkeeper. The ball spilled out. Ronaldo reacted first and scored the opening goal of the match. He has now scored 23 goals in 2026 for the club and country.
Ronaldo’s future with Portugal is still unclear. He left the national team camp after a problem with coach Jorge Jesus. It is not known when he will play for Portugal again. Messi, meanwhile, has retired from international football. He is now focused only on Inter Miami.
Messi is unlikely to reach 1,000 goals before the end of the year. He would need to score 68 more goals in a short time. That is almost impossible. Ronaldo is much closer. He could reach the milestone if he keeps scoring at his current rate.
Tributes Continue to Pour In for Lionel Messi After Argentina Farewell
Lionel Messi played his first match for Inter Miami since retiring from international football. He scored twice in a 4-0 win over D.C. United on Saturday. But the emotional farewell with Argentina is still fresh. Many people around him are sharing what he meant to them.
One of the most touching messages came from Luis Martin. He is the physical trainer for the Argentina national team. He chose October 10 to post a long tribute on Instagram. He wrote, “10/10 is no coincidence.” He said he waited for that day to thank Messi for every moment, every smile, and every conversation they shared. He said he found love in Messi’s arms. He called Messi his safe haven.
Martin also spoke about the challenge of moving forward without Messi. He said it will be hard to look to his right during warm-ups and not see Messi there. He called the void enormous. Martin said he was lucky to tell Messi in person how much he loves him and how much all Argentinians love him. He thanked Messi for everything. He ended with, “I’m going to miss you, Leo.”
The post included 20 photos of their time together. The first photo shows Martin hugging Messi during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Martin also has a tattoo of Messi celebrating Argentina’s win over England, along with Messi’s signature.
His teammates also shared their feelings. Rodrigo De Paul, one of Messi’s closest friends, wrote, “Without you, none of this would have happened. I love you, brother.” Cristian Romero thanked Messi for teaching the team to never give up and to believe anything is possible. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez said, “Thank you for making me the best goalkeeper in the world. I saved your goals with all my heart.”
Lisandro Martinez thanked Messi for changing the history of the national team. Lautaro Martinez spoke about how much he learned from playing alongside Messi. Leandro Paredes and Nicolas Tagliafico also praised Messi for the happiness and love he brought to the Argentina shirt.
FAQs
Q. How many career goals has Lionel Messi scored?
A. Messi has scored 934 career goals.
Q. How many goals does Messi need to reach 1,000?
A. Messi needs 66 more goals.
Q. How many goals did Messi score against DC United?
A. Messi scored twice for Inter Miami.
Q. How many career goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored?
A. Ronaldo has scored 980 career goals.
Q. How many goals does Ronaldo need to reach 1,000?
A. Messi needs 20 more goals.
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