Lionel Messi has damaged one more file — and this one comes on the world’s largest stage. Along with his decisive objective towards Porto within the FIFA Membership World Cup, the Argentine legend turned the highest goalscorer in FIFA competitors historical past, surpassing Brazilian icon Marta, who beforehand held the file with 24 targets throughout FIFA tournaments.
Messi’s newest strike, a classic left-footed end within the 77th minute, gave Inter Miami a 2–1 victory over the Portuguese facet and secured the membership’s first-ever win in a FIFA Membership World Cup. Extra importantly, it was Messi’s twenty fifth objective in FIFA-sanctioned competitions, making him the all-time chief throughout males’s and girls’s soccer.
In response to FIFA’s official tally, Messi’s 25 targets have come over a span of 20 years, throughout 10 worldwide tournaments — a testomony to his longevity and consistency on the highest degree.
A 20-year journey to the highest
Messi scored his first objective in a FIFA event on the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, when he was simply 18. Since then, he has added to his tally in almost each main competitors:
World Cup (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022): 13 goalsFIFA U-20 World Cup (2005): 6 goalsFIFA Membership World Cup (2009, 2011 with Barcelona; 2025 with Inter Miami): 5 goalsFIFA Confederations Cup: 0 targets (Messi by no means performed on this event)Olympics (not a FIFA event): not counted on this file
His targets within the Membership World Cup have are available key moments — notably in 2009 and 2011 with Barcelona, and now in 2025 with Inter Miami. This newest one, the twenty fifth, got here in dramatic vogue and helped break the tie with Marta, the Brazilian ahead broadly considered the best in ladies’s soccer historical past.

see additionally
Video: Lionel Messi scores gorgeous objective to place Inter Miami forward of Porto within the Membership World Cup

The objective that sealed the file
Messi’s milestone got here in Inter Miami’s second group stage match of the FIFA Membership World Cup 2025. After trailing 1–0 to Porto, Miami equalized by means of Telasco Segovia earlier than Messi took middle stage. Receiving a cross close to the sting of the field, he minimize inside and fired low into the nook — a trademark end that echoed his biggest moments in a Barcelona jersey.

see additionally
Lionel Messi reaches 50-goal milestone in simply 61 video games for Inter Miami
It was Messi’s fiftieth objective for Inter Miami, scored in simply 61 matches — one other spectacular achievement that highlights his continued impression in each competitors he performs.