Messi’s Potential Records to Break at Inter Miami
- All-Time Leading Scorer of Inter Miami
Starting with an achievable feat, Inter Miami doesn’t boast a long history, having joined the MLS only in 2020. The current top scorer for the club is Messi’s former national teammate, Gonzalo Higuain, with 29 goals in 70 appearances.
Messi has had a strong start with Inter Miami, netting 3 goals in just 2 appearances, averaging a goal every 34 minutes so far.
- Most Hat-Tricks
This record is well within Messi’s grasp. His teammate at Inter Miami, Josef Martinez, currently holds the MLS record for the most hat-tricks with 6, all achieved during his time at Atlanta United.
Martinez leads the likes of Bradley Wright-Phillips (5), Robbie Keane (4), and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (3). With Messi already having scored 57 hat-tricks in his career, surpassing the number 6 for Inter Miami should be a breeze.
- Most Goals from Free-Kicks
Former Italian international, Sebastian Giovinco, holds the record for the most direct free-kick goals in MLS history with a total of 13 goals during his 4-year stint with Toronto FC, surpassing the likes of Jeff Larentowicz, Javier Morales, and Inter Miami’s owner, David Beckham.
Messi immediately left his mark with an iconic free-kick goal in his MLS debut against Cruz Azul. It was his 53rd free-kick goal in his career, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he adds another 13 in North America.
- Most Goals in a Single Season
Former Arsenal striker, Carlos Vela, set the record in 2019 with 34 goals for LAFC. The Mexican forward surpassed the 31 goals scored by Josef Martinez for Atlanta United in the preceding season.
While nothing is impossible for Messi, it’s admittedly challenging, given his age of 36, to surpass the milestone of 34 goals in a single full season.
- Most Assists in a Single Season
This record is even harder to break than the goal-scoring record. Colombian legend, Carlos Valderrama, holds the record with 26 assists for Tampa Bay Mutiny – a team that no longer exists in MLS – during the 2000 season. Meanwhile, Messi’s assist record in a single season stands at 21 for Barcelona during the 2019-20 season.
- Longest Scoring Streak
Josef Martinez set the longest scoring streak in MLS history in 2019, netting in 15 consecutive matches. At that time, the striker was in red-hot form.
In La Liga, Messi scored an impressive 33 goals in 21 consecutive matches. However, that was the Messi of his prime.
- All-Time Leading Scorer
The all-time MLS scoring record was set by former US international, Chris Wondolowski, with 171 goals from 2005 to 2021. To break this record, Messi would need to average 30 goals per season until 2029 when he’ll be 42 years old.
Entering MLS’s “100 Goals Club” is a more realistic goal for Messi, though still extremely challenging, as only 13 players have achieved this feat.
- All-Time Assists Leader
American legend, Landon Donovan, proudly holds the record for most assists in MLS history with 136, primarily during his time with LA Galaxy. If Messi were to join MLS earlier, anything would be possible.
In summary, Messi’s move to Inter Miami opens up numerous opportunities for him to etch his name in MLS history and break various records. While some might be more achievable than others, his presence in the league undoubtedly promises excitement and memorable moments.
