Lionel Messi joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the 500 league goals club but he has reached the milestone in less games than his rival after his latest MLS double for Inter Miami
Lionel Messi has passed 500 career league goals after scoring twice for Inter Miami in their 5-0 demolition of Orlando City in Major League Soccer.
Messi scored twice in five minutes in the second half to surpass the 500-goal milestone in just his 587th league match. The Argentinian reaches the milestone just over a year after Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated the achievement.
But Messi can boast bragging rights over his long-time rival. While he has reached the 500 league goal mark 13 months later than his Portuguese adversary, it took Ronaldo 654 matches to reach the figure – 67 games more than Messi.
Messi has scored 474 of his career league goals in LaLiga, scoring another 22 in Ligue 1 for Paris Saint-Germain and now taking his Major League Soccer tally up to four with his latest Inter Miami brace. He’s scored far more goals since moving to America but the majority (10) came in the Leagues Cup competition before Inter Miami missed out on last season’s MLS Playoffs.
Ronaldo, meanwhile, brought up his 500 in just his fourth Saudi Pro League game last February. He scored all four goals in a 4-0 win over Al Wehda and he’s since moved his tally onto 534 league goals from 687 games.
Unlike Messi, Ronaldo’s goals come across a far wider range of competitions. He scored three goals in the Portuguese top flight for Sporting CP before his move to Manchester United, where he netted 103 times in the Premier League across two stints.
Source: Rich Jones
D-Ample Newspaper 