Before this match, Messi was sitting at 498 league goals, having scored a late equalizer in Inter Miami's recent draw with LA Galaxy. The game against Orlando saw Luis Suarez kick off the action with two goals within the first 11 minutes at Chase Stadium.
Then, in the 29th minute, Robert Taylor added another goal before Messi capitalized on a close-range opportunity, following Robin Jansson's desperate clearance that rebounded off the crossbar.
Messi sealed his achievement with a clinical header from Suarez's well-placed cross, securing a 5-0 win and hitting the 500-league-goal mark. Interestingly, this marked Messi's first headed goal since his previous one in Barcelona's match against Celta Vigo in May 2021.
Remarkably, Messi reached this milestone just over a year after his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, achieved the same feat. However, Messi accomplished it in fewer games, taking 587 matches compared to Ronaldo's 657.
The bulk of Messi's league goals were amassed during his tenure with Barcelona, where he scored 474 goals in 520 La Liga appearances. After leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021, Messi continued his prolific form, scoring 22 goals in 58 Ligue 1 games during his two-year stint in France.
Although Messi joined Inter Miami last summer, his major impact initially came in the Leagues Cup campaign rather than the 2023 MLS season. He scored 10 of his 11 goals in the cup competition, helping the franchise secure their first piece of silverware. However, Messi has begun the 2024 MLS season positively, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the first three matches.
Looking ahead, Messi could extend his scoring spree as Inter Miami faces Nashville in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup last-16 tie on Thursday evening under the management of Tata Martino.
