Lionel Messi closes in on special career milestone as he chases down Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi is now just one goal away from reaching 900 career goals.

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner struck Inter Miami’s second in a 2-1 win over DC United on Saturday night in front of 72,000 people.

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The 38-year-old has now scored 80 times for the MLS side since joining in June 2023.

The bulk of his career goals (672) came for Barcelona, where he won 35 trophies.

A move to Paris Saint-Germain saw him score 32 times and he also has 115 goals for Argentina.

That moved him to 899 career goals for club and country.

He will get the chance to score his 900th when Inter Miami play Nashville on March 11.

Messi would join long-time career rival Cristiano Ronaldo in reaching that feat if and when he gets there.

Ronaldo hit 900 in September 2024 when he scored for Portugal against Croatia.

The 41-year-old firmly has the 1000 mark on his mind and insists he will not retire until he gets there.

The Al Nassr forward is currently on 965, but is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury.

The pair take the first and second spot in the highest goalscorers of all-time.

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How much is Lionel Messi paid?

Messi’s pay has recently hit the headlines when Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas revealed all.

He said that World Cup winner Messi gets between $70m and $80m a year, including his ownership shares.

“The reason that I need to have sponsors and for them to be world-class is because players are expensive,” Mas told Bloomberg in an interview published Friday.

“I pay Messi — worth every penny — but it’s $70 million to $80 million a year. Across everything.”

According to figures released by the MLS Players Association, Messi is the highest paid player in the league.

He earns a base salary of $12m, with a guaranteed compensation of $20,446,667.

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Messi’s current contract runs until the end of the 2028 season.

Messi is also believed to have a revenue sharing agreement with the league’s broadcast partner Apple.

New Inter Miami stadium

While Messi is well compensated, it is good business for Inter Miami as well.

The club is said to be worth $1.45bn, according to Sportico.

This week, Miami signed a deal with Brazilian financial services company Nu to have naming rights to their new stadium.

The Nu Stadium, as it will be known, is a 26,700-seat arena that is still being built.

It is hoped the first match will be hosted there on April 4.