Lionel Messi wins the race to 1,300

On Sunday afternoon, Messi put on another masterclass in Major League Soccer. He led Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over FC Cincinnati in the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs. With a goal and three assists, the Argentine captain reached the milestone of 1,300 career goal contributions.

Lionel Messi: A master of every attack

Throughout his career, Messi has embodied the idea of total football. His scoring comes in every imaginable form, and his passes consistently create opportunities for teammates. In MLS, Messi maintains his remarkable pace, now just four goals shy of 900. His three-assist performance brought his official assist total to 404, the most by any player according to Opta.

Of the 1,300 contributions, 941 came with FC Barcelona, 176 with Argentina, 117 with Inter Miami, and 66 with Paris Saint-Germain. No other player in history has matched that level of productivity, a testament to the quality of the 2022 World Cup champion.

Messi’s impact on Inter Miami

Inter Miami has scored 25 goals in its last seven matches, with Messi contributing directly to 22 of them, according to MLS statistics. That means the Argentine represents 88 percent of the team’s offensive production, highlighting his massive influence on Javier Mascherano’s squad.

It’s worth noting that the league counts pre-assists as full assists if the final pass before a goal is intentional. Even excluding those, Messi has 20 direct contributions out of the 25 goals, or 80 percent of the team’s output.

Next challenge: MLS glory

Messi’s next target with Inter Miami is the Eastern Conference title, as they face New York City FC in the conference final on Saturday, November 29. The ultimate goal is the 2025 MLS Cup, and the Argentine star dreams of bringing the first North American league trophy to the ‘Herons.’

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