LEAGUES CUP 2023
When could Lionel Messi break Inter Miami’s all-time goalscoring record?
Former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuaín is The Herons’ record marksman but could soon be overtaken if Messi keeps up his incredible scoring rate.
It’s safe to say that Lionel Messi has had exactly the kind of impact Inter Miami dreamed he would have when he agreed to make the move to DRV PNK Stadium upon the expiry of his Paris Saint-Germain contract in June.
Inter Miami’s dreadful pre-Messi record
On a collective level, it’s probably not too much of an exaggeration to say the Herons were in a bit of a mess prior to the Argentina captain’s arrival. The lost 14 of their first 22 MLS games of the 2023 season, a return which leaves them bottom of the Eastern Conference and indeed the overall standings (which is where they remain, with Messi having yet to debut in Major League Soccer). The Florida side went into their opening Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul on a run of 11 MLS matches without a victory.
Ex-Barcelona star makes instant impact
Of course, the Barcelona legend, alongside Sergio Busquets, made his debut in the second half of that game against La Máquina and Inter Miami have been unrecognisable ever since, winning their first three matches in the competition and progressing to the quarter-finals thanks to a stirring comeback in a penalty shootout victory away to FC Dallas.
On a personal level, Messi typically marked his debut by scoring the winning goal from a free-kick deep into injury time and has scored twice in each of his subsequent three appearances as a starter, including another magnificent set-piece strike to level late on in their most recent fixture at Toyota Stadium.
Where is Messi on Inter Miami’s all-time top scorers list?
The 36-year-old has scored seven times for his new team, which already puts him joint fourth in Inter Miami’s all-time list of top scorers. After only four matches.
The fact that David Beckham’s side only began playing competitively in 2020 is obviously a factor here, but how many games will it take Messi to break the current record, held by former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuaín, if he keeps up his current scoring rate?
How many goals does Messi need to overtake Gonzalo Higuaín?
Higuaín scored 29 times in 70 appearances for the club, a ratio of 0.41 goals per game, comfortably the highest in the top 10…before his compatriot came along. Messi needs just 23 goals to dethrone his former Argentina teammate and is currently averaging an incredible 1.75 goals per game (2 in the games in which he’s started).
If the seven-time Ballon d’Or can keep it up, he would need between 13 and 14 more matches to take Higuaín’s record. Depending on how Inter Miami fare in the remainder of the Leagues Cup and the US Open Cup, Messi could reach 30 goals any time between the MLS away game against Orlando City on 25 September (if they reach the final in both cup competitions) and the final league match of the season at Charlotte FC on 22 October (if they are knocked out in the next round).
Two months to become a club’s record goalscorer?
Of course, whether the playmaker will play in every match, given his advancing years, is also up for debate. However, there is chance, however slim, that Messi could become Inter Miami’s all-time top scorer in the space of just over two months. He’s broken plenty of records during his career, but that one would take some beating.