Lionel Messi scored in Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution on Sunday, November 1. The Herons’ other goal came courtesy of Germán Berterame.

With this goal, the Argentine reached 937 official career goals, narrowing the gap to Cristiano Ronaldo, who moved to 985 goals with a hat trick in his most recent match against Al-Kholood on October 29.

Following Inter Miami’s victory over New England, Messi now sits 48 goals behind Ronaldo.

The distance could change, of course, since both players remain active with their respective teams.

The Argentine star’s trajectory began to take shape at Barcelona, where he scored 672 goals and became its all-time top scorer. He later scored 32 goals for Paris Saint-Germain.

With Inter Miami, Messi has 106 goals, and with the Argentina national team, he has 126 more. Together, his four professional stages account for 936 goals.

Lionel Messi Still Has Time to Break More Records

At 39, the forward remains under contract with Inter Miami until the end of 2028. Although catching Cristiano will depend on his scoring output and how long he remains active, the 49-goal gap keeps the comparison between two of the most important figures in soccer history open.

MLS has grown in recent years, but a recurring problem in how many teams plan and build their rosters is defense. MLS, unfortunately, seems to be among the leagues with the worst defensive records.

Ultimately, that could benefit Messi if he stays in the league and honors his contract through 2028. If that happens, the Argentine will have plenty of afternoons and evenings in the United States to close the gap on Ronaldo, even if only slightly. That said, at this stage and at the level we’re talking about, a 49-goal gap isn’t all that significant.

Ronaldo will keep scoring goals, but who knows how much longer he’ll play, given he’s already 41.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Matches With Al Nassr and Portugal Before the End of 2026

Turning our attention back to Cristiano Ronaldo, here is the list of matches awaiting the Portuguese star for the remainder of 2026. The big question, of course, is whether he can reach 1,000 career goals before the year ends.