Messi Breaks Another Record of Ronaldo with Stunning Performance in Leagues Cup
Lionel Messi surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of consecutive years scoring over 20 goals in all competitions with a brilliant brace against Dallas FC, helping Inter Miami secure a victory in the Leagues Cup on August 6, 2023. Messi’s double from outside the box showcased his exceptional skills, taking his goal tally to 21 in 29 matches, not to mention his eight assists. This achievement marks the 17th consecutive year Messi has scored over 20 goals, setting a new record by surpassing Ronaldo’s 16-year streak from 2006 to 2021.
In the current season, Messi has already scored 21 goals and provided eight assists in 29 matches, resulting in a remarkable goal or assist in each game. In comparison, Ronaldo scored 22 goals and made two assists in 27 matches. While Ronaldo’s goal-scoring rate is slightly better, with a goal every 106 minutes compared to Messi’s 121 minutes per goal, it is clear that both players continue to showcase their exceptional talents on the field.
Over the past 22 years, Messi has outscored Ronaldo in eight seasons, namely in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022. These victories can be partially attributed to Messi being two years younger than Ronaldo. Messi’s peak performance was in 2012 when he scored an incredible 91 goals, setting a Guinness World Record. During that year, Messi’s goal-scoring achievement outshone Ronaldo’s by an impressive margin of 28 goals.
The recent match against Dallas FC in the Leagues Cup showcased Messi’s exceptional abilities, with a long-range shot opening the scoring and a stunning free-kick equalizer at 4-4 in the final moments of the match. In the subsequent penalty shootout, Messi confidently scored in the first round, leading Inter Miami to a 5-3 victory. This marks the first time in his career at a club that Messi has won a penalty shootout. Although Barcelona and PSG have previously won penalty shootouts, Messi was not on the field during those instances.
Following the game, 18-year-old midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi showered praise on the team captain, stating, “I will never get tired of talking about Messi. He always does incredible things that no one can anticipate. Messi consistently delivers with braces in most matches, and we hope he will lead us to go far in the competition.”
Despite having only played four matches for Inter Miami, Messi’s impressive performance in Texas has already placed him fourth on the club’s all-time top scorers’ list. At 36 years old, Messi currently stands behind Gonzalo Higuain with 29 goals, Leonardo Campana with 16 goals, and Robert Taylor with eight goals. It is worth noting that Inter Miami was founded in 2018 and began competing in 2020.
The Leagues Cup is an international tournament featuring teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States and Liga MX in Mexico. Inter Miami has advanced to the quarter-finals of the competition and will face either Houston Dynamo or Charlotte on August 11 in Florida.
Messi’s continued excellence on the field continues to amaze fans and fellow players alike, and his contributions are undoubtedly instrumental in driving Inter Miami’s success in the Leagues Cup.
