Lionel Messi is undoubtedly one of the best players the world has ever seen. There. We said it. But how about Cristiano Ronaldo? Yes, of course, also one of the greatest ever. Just look at their stunning all-time career stats. It's something else.
The current PSG star is not just one of the best players overall, but also one of the most lethal goal scorers. But how many goals has Messi scored in total during his outrageous career at Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami, and Argentina?
Despite receiving a jaw-dropping billion-dollar offer to join arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia and the chance of a romantic return to Barcelona, Messi chose to sign for former Manchester United icon David Beckham co-owned Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 in a massive coup for American soccer. Joined by former Barcelona teammates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, the global superstar has started with a bang at his new club, scoring and creating goals for fun and getting the fans on the edge of their seats with magical last-minute free-kicks, effortless dribbling, vision, and sheer world-class playmaking quality. Having largely struggled to lay a glove in US soccer since their inception, the Herons suddenly look a force to be reckoned with since Messi's blockbuster arrival, and are currently on a roll in the Leagues Cup.
In the summer of 2021, Messi was forced to switch clubs owing to the Spanish outfit’s financial crisis. The Argentine’s first season with PSG was not quite up to his standards as he was unable to score as regularly as we had gotten used to. Come 2022, a more settled Messi looks in fine form once more, and even led his country to a remarkable World Cup triumph later that year. Under the new leadership of Christophe Galtier, Messi along with his partners in crime Neymar and Kylian Mbappe formed a lethal trio that steered the Parisians to a record 11th Ligue 1 title. However, the 2022 World Cup winner left the French capital outfit when his contract expires in the summer of 2023 in favour of pursuing the American dream.
When Barcelona signed the young Argentine forward in 2004, the world had no idea that he would become one of the greatest players to have donned the iconic red and blue jersey. During his jaw-dropping career at Barcelona, Messi scored a mind-boggling 672 goals in 778 appearances, breaking numerous records during his spell at Camp Nou. He scored his first goal in 2005 against Albacete in a jam-packed Camp Nou. The Argentine's last goal for the Spanish giants came in a 2-1 defeat to Celta Vigo at home. But what he had done between the two goals will live in the minds of football fans forever. The Argentine captured a club-record 35 trophies for Barcelona, while also picking up the prestigious Ballon d’Or seven times.
Messi currently shares the podium with Cristiano Ronaldo and Ali Daei as far as international goals are concerned. The forward has scored over a 100 goals for his beloved country and is their all-time top goal scorer. The only blotch on his international career was the lack of trophies he had won for his country. Having lost the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, it looked like an international trophy would elude one of the greatest of the game. But Argentina’s luck changed in 2021 when Messi guided La Albiceleste to the Copa America title along with a Finalissima Trophy in 2022. In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Messi finally got his hands on the only trophy missing from his cabinet - the coveted World Cup. He scored six goals for Albiceleste and won the Golden Ball award as Argentina beat France on penalties in the final.
Unsurprisingly, Messi scored the overwhelming majority of his goals for Barcelona, netting an impressive 672 times during his stint with the Spanish giants. We can safely say he's not going to get anywhere near that for PSG, particularly after what was a somewhat disappointing first season in the French capital by his admittedly incredibly high standards. The prolific attacker has made it clear that he will not be around for the 2026 World Cup, but he will still be aiming to surpass the 100-goal mark for Argentina in the years to come, even if it seems unlikely he will achieve that remarkable feat in 2022.
Source: goal.com