Every match played by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, especially every goal they score, adds another chapter to their race to reach 1,000 career goals.
After both stars made their sixth FIFA World Cup appearance at the 2026 World Cup, club football returned. Following a short break, Messi returned to action for “The Herons” and scored twice. His performance helped Inter Miami win and also brought him closer to Cristiano Ronaldo in the battle to become football’s all-time leading goalscorer.
How Many Goals Do Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Have?
For almost 20 years, Messi and Ronaldo have continued to set new standards in football. Even though they are now playing in different leagues during the final years of their careers, one record still attracts huge attention: the number of official career goals.
Inter Miami’s opening match in the 2026 Leagues Cup gave Messi another chance to shine. The Argentine scored twice in the 11th and 44th minutes and also provided an assist for Micael dos Santos Silva in stoppage time. His performance helped Inter Miami beat Atlético San Luis 4-2.
The two goals came shortly after Messi’s impressive 2026 World Cup campaign. He scored eight goals during the tournament and finished as the second-highest scorer in World Cup history with 21 career World Cup goals. He also led Argentina to the final, where they were beaten 1-0 by Spain.
After his latest brace, “Leo” has now scored 921 goals and provided 419 assists in 921 official matches. He remains the second-highest goalscorer in football history.
The player still leading the list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored 977 official goals and recorded 261 assists in 1,330 matches.
Most of Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals came after joining Real Madrid, where he scored 451 goals. He has also found the net 146 times for Portugal, 145 goals for Manchester United, 129 for Al-Nassr, 101 for Juventus, and five for Sporting CP.
Meanwhile, “Leo” has scored 672 goals for Barcelona, 124 for Argentina, 32 for Paris Saint-Germain, and 93 for Inter Miami.
No matter who reaches the milestone first, the race to 1,000 goals is expected to be the final great chapter of one of football’s greatest rivalries.
