How Lionel Messi's First 100 Inter Miami Games Compare to Barcelona, Argentina Records
Lionel Messi reached yet another milestone in his illustrious career on Saturday, making his 100th appearance for Inter Miami at age 38.
The Argentine got his landmark night at Nu Stadium off to a dream start, recording a goal and an assist to help the Herons take a 3–0 lead in the Florida derby. Orlando City had the last laugh, though; the Lions rattled four past Dayne St. Clair to secure a 4–3 comeback victory, leaving Messi and Co. stunned.
Still, the defeat on the night does not take away from all the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner has accomplished since making the move to south Florida. Messi has broken record after record in MLS, putting together a career in a pink shirt that only furthers his untouchable legacy, fueled by his success with Barcelona and the Argentina national team.
Here's how Messi's first 100 games at Inter Miami compare to his records with the Catalans, as well as La Albiceleste.
Goals
In 100 appearances at Inter Miami, Messi scored a staggering 86 goals. Half the Argentine's tally came in the 2025 season in which he found the back of the net 43 times in 49 matches across all competitions. He took home the MLS Golden Boot for his efforts.
On his journey to the century mark for Barcelona, Messi scored 41 goals. Sure the number pails in comparison to his haul in a pink shirt, but the forward was just 17 years old when he made his competitive debut for the Catalans. It also must be said he was facing much tougher competition, yet he still averaged roughly a goal every 2.4 matches.
The same goes for Argentina, where Messi bagged 46 goals in his first 100 appearances for his country. He was 18 years old when he made his senior international debut-and the rest is history.
| Team | Goals After 100 Games |
|---|---|
| Inter Miami | 86 |
| Barcelona | 41 |
| Argentina | 46 |
Assists
Even in the twilight of his career, Messi is still putting on a show in MLS. Not only is the 38-year-old tearing up the goalscoring charts, but he is also setting up goal after goal for his teammates. In a pink shirt, the Argentine has registered 45 assists.
Going back to the start of his career, Messi's supreme dribbling and creativity was on display even when he was far from the finished product. Although his 14 assists in his first 100 games for Barcelona do not jump off the page, they were a sign of what was to come in the next 678 matches in a Blaugrana shirt.
His numbers were more impressive on the international stage. Messi tallied 27 assists in the buildup to hitting the century mark in appearances for La Albiceleste. That's 73 goal contributions in just the first-half of his Argentina career.
| Team | Assists After 100 Games |
|---|---|
| Inter Miami | 45 |
| Barcelona | 14 |
| Argentina | 27 |
Trophies
Since Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, he led the team to their first three trophies in history, one in each season: the 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 Supporters' Shield and 2025 MLS Cup. The former Barcelona legend will hope to add a fourth in 2026 to keep the tradition going.
Speaking of the Catalans, Messi already had four pieces of silverware in his trophy cabinet by the time he made 100 appearances for the Spanish giants. Two La Liga titles, a Champions League and a Spanish Super Cup at the age of 20 is a haul some players never achieve in their entire career.
In comparison, it took Messi much longer to lift a trophy for Argentina. Beyond winning a gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, he did not find any glory with La Albiceleste until the latter stages of his career. The wait was worth it, though; Argentina won back-to-back Copa América titles, as well as the World Cup from 2021–24.
| Team | Trophies After 100 Games |
|---|---|
| Inter Miami | 3 |
| Barcelona | 4 |
| Argentina | 0 |
READ THE LATEST INTER MIAMI NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC
- Lionel Messi's Scathing Reaction to Stunning Inter Miami Implosion Revealed
- Grading Inter Miami's Historic Collapse Against Rivals Orlando City
- How Inter Miami Could Line Up With Man Utd Star Midfielder Casemiro
- Lionel Messi Net Worth: How Much Is the Soccer Legend Worth in 2026?
- Update on Lionel Messi, Inter Miami's Bid for Man Utd's Casemiro-Report
Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 1:30 PM.