Lionel Messi has added another trophy with Inter Miami and, under a count that puts his career total at 49, has now drawn level with Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous trophy haul.
Messi reaches 49 trophies and moves level with Sir Alex Ferguson
Lionel Messi has reached another extraordinary milestone after helping Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the 2026 Campeones Cup.
According to the trophy count reported by TUDN, the victory gave Messi the 49th title of his incredible career.
That number puts the Argentine superstar level with one of the most successful managers football has ever seen.
Sir Alex Ferguson finished his legendary managerial career with 49 major trophies.
Now, under this way of counting Messi’s honours, the two football icons stand on the same number.
Messi reaches 49 career trophies
Messi added the latest trophy after Inter Miami defeated Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup.
It was another special night for the 39-year-old.
Messi opened the scoring with a rare header before Casemiro added the second goal late in the match.
After the final whistle, Messi lifted another trophy and moved his career total to 49 under the count used by TUDN.
It is an incredible number for a player who has collected major honours across more than two decades at the highest level.
Messi now level with Sir Alex Ferguson
The number 49 creates an interesting comparison with Sir Alex Ferguson.
The legendary Scottish manager won trophies with St Mirren, Aberdeen and Manchester United during a coaching career that lasted almost four decades.
Ferguson finished with 49 major trophies as a manager.
His collection included 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League trophies, five FA Cups and several other domestic and international honours.
He also enjoyed major success with Aberdeen before beginning his historic spell at Manchester United.
Messi has now reached the same total under this trophy-counting method.
Why some sources say Messi has 48 trophies
There is an important detail behind the numbers.
Not every source counts Messi’s career trophies in exactly the same way.
Major League Soccer officially described the Campeones Cup as the 48th trophy of Messi’s career.
However, TUDN reported it as his 49th.
One important difference between trophy lists is how certain regional titles are treated.
Inter Miami themselves have previously listed the 2025 Eastern Conference title among the trophies won during the Messi era.
When that honour is included, Messi’s total reaches 49.
When it is excluded from the list of major career trophies, the total remains 48.
For this reason, the exact number can depend on the counting method being used.
Another huge night for Messi
The trophy milestone was not the only achievement Messi celebrated against Cruz Azul.
His opening goal was also his 100th for Inter Miami.
Messi became the first player in the club’s history to reach 100 goals.
He achieved the milestone in just 115 appearances across all competitions.
There was also a remarkable connection with the opponent.
Messi scored his first Inter Miami goal against Cruz Azul in 2023.
More than three years later, he scored goal No.100 against the same club.
From Barcelona to Miami
Most of Messi’s trophies came during his historic career at Barcelona.
He won 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League trophies, seven Copa del Rey titles and many other honours with the Catalan club.
He later won domestic trophies with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Inter Miami in 2023.
Success followed him to the United States.
Messi helped Miami win the Leagues Cup soon after his arrival.
The club later added the Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup and now the Campeones Cup, while Inter Miami also won the 2025 Eastern Conference title.
Messi’s international trophies complete the collection
Messi’s career trophy collection is not only about club football.
His achievements with Argentina have played a major role in his historic total.
He won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024.
He also lifted the Finalissima in 2022 before finally winning the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later that year.
Earlier in his career, Messi also won the U-20 World Cup and an Olympic gold medal with Argentina.
Those titles helped build one of the biggest trophy collections in football history.
Two legends, 49 trophies
Messi and Ferguson achieved their success in completely different roles.
Ferguson built winning teams from the touchline.
Messi decided matches on the pitch.
But under the count that gives Messi 49 career titles, they now share one remarkable number.
Lionel Messi: 49 trophies.
Sir Alex Ferguson: 49 trophies.
For Ferguson, that total was built across one of the greatest managerial careers football has ever seen.
For Messi, the collection continues to grow even at the age of 39.
Messi can move ahead next
The most remarkable part is that Messi’s career is not over yet.
Inter Miami remain able to compete for more trophies, meaning the Argentine could soon move beyond the famous 49-title mark.
One more trophy, under the same counting method, would take Messi to 50 and move him ahead of Ferguson’s career total.
For now, the Campeones Cup has given Messi another piece of silverware, another historic milestone and another connection with one of football’s greatest names.
At 39 years old, Lionel Messi is still adding trophies to a collection that already looks almost impossible to match.
