Argentine superstar reaches another career milestone as Inter Miami defeats Cruz Azul 2-0 in Florida
Lionel Messi added another extraordinary milestone to his historic career Wednesday night, scoring his 100th goal for Inter Miami as the Major League Soccer club defeated Mexico’s Cruz Azul 2-0 to capture the Campeones Cup.
The 39-year-old Argentine reached the century mark in just his 115th appearance for Miami, opening the scoring in the 24th minute of the annual showdown between the reigning MLS Cup champion and Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones winner.
Messi’s goal provided another landmark moment in a remarkable three-year transformation for Inter Miami since the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star arrived in South Florida in 2023.
Miami protected its advantage before Casemiro added a late second goal, securing the 2-0 victory and another trophy for a club that has become one of the most closely followed teams in North American soccer.
The Campeones Cup brings together champions from Major League Soccer and Liga MX, giving clubs from the United States, Canada and Mexico an opportunity to compete for regional bragging rights outside their respective domestic competitions.
For Miami, Wednesday’s victory added another piece of silverware to a rapidly expanding collection.
Messi’s arrival in 2023 immediately changed the club’s trajectory. He helped Miami win the Leagues Cup during his first season, the first major trophy in franchise history, and has now played a central role in four trophies won by the club.
Miami coach Cristian Gonzalez credited Messi after Wednesday’s victory, saying the Argentine had fulfilled a personal promise to help make him a champion.
The latest milestone also illustrates Messi’s remarkable scoring productivity at an age when most professional footballers have already retired or moved away from the highest levels of competition.
One hundred goals in 115 Miami appearances represents an extraordinary rate for a player who contributes far beyond scoring. Messi has continued to operate as a creator, playmaker and attacking organizer while remaining one of Miami’s primary goalscoring threats.
His career numbers stretch much further.
Messi spent the overwhelming majority of his European career with Barcelona, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer and won numerous domestic and international trophies, including four UEFA Champions League titles. He later spent two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain before moving to MLS.
Internationally, Messi eventually achieved the accomplishment that had eluded him for much of his career: major success with Argentina.
He helped his country win the 2021 Copa América, the 2022 FIFA World Cup and additional international honors, completing a résumé that already included a record collection of individual awards.
Messi is Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 125 international goals.
His 100th Miami goal arrives during what is becoming an emotional final chapter of his international career. Messi announced last month that he is retiring from international football and is scheduled to make his final appearance for Argentina in an October 6 friendly against Benin.
That decision will close one of the most celebrated international careers in football history while allowing Messi to continue focusing on his club career with Miami.
For Major League Soccer, Messi’s impact has extended well beyond statistics.
His move to the United States dramatically increased international attention on Inter Miami and MLS, producing sold-out stadiums, greater television interest and unprecedented global exposure for the South Florida franchise.
Yet Wednesday night was ultimately about something much simpler: another goal, another trophy and another entry in an already enormous record book.
When Messi arrived in Miami in 2023, the question was how much of his legendary European career he could reproduce in the United States.
Three years later, he has reached 100 goals in an Inter Miami shirt and helped the club collect four trophies.
The Campeones Cup may not carry the historical weight of a World Cup, Champions League or Copa América. But for Inter Miami, the 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul represents another step in the club’s rapid development—and for Messi, goal No. 100 provides another remarkable milestone in the closing chapters of one of football’s most decorated careers.
By The Haitian Tribune Sports Desk | September 17, 2026 | FLORIDA
