Watch: Lionel Messi wins 49th career trophy with 100th goal for Inter Miami

Lionel Messi wins 49th career trophy with 100th goal for Inter Miami Lionel Messi scored another major milestone on Wednesday when he scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami as the MLS club beat Mexican side Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup in Florida.Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute when he hit a cross from Luis Suárez. Casemiro then sealed victory with a late header as Miami lifted another trophy.The goal came in Messi’s 115th appearance for the club, making him the fastest player to score 100 goals for any club or country. He previously reached the milestone in 188 games for Barcelona and 174 games for Argentina.

Messi delivers another trophy for Miami

Since joining Inter Miami in 2023, Messi has scored 76 goals in MLS, 14 in the League Cup, eight in the Concacaf Champions Cup and one in the FIFA Club World Cup.The win also gave new Miami coach Cristian “Kily” González a trophy in his first game in charge.Watch:“Leo (Messi) told me I was going to be a champion and he did it,” González said, according to ESPN.“We’re going to move forward, it gives us a huge morale boost, it’s a vital element for us and when we’ve achieved that, we have to keep it going,” he added.Messi, 39, joined Miami after spells at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. He has now helped the club win four trophies.The Campeones Cup was also the 49th trophy of Messi’s career.

Messi said goodbye to Argentina

Messi is also preparing for his final appearance for Argentina. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner announced his retirement from international football last month.Argentina will face Benin in Buenos Aires on October 6 and the match is expected to serve as Messi’s farewell.“We have invited the best player in the world, our national team icon, our captain Lionel Andres Messi, to say goodbye here in Argentina,” AFA president Claudio Tapia wrote on social media.“Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso will join the squad for the final friendly match on October 6. The list of players called up from the domestic league will be published on Friday,” the Argentine FA said.Messi scored 125 goals in 207 games for Argentina. His international career includes the 2022 World Cup title and two Copa America triumphs.“After the time that has passed since the final and after thinking about it a lot, I want to announce to everyone that I am quitting the Argentine national team,” Messi wrote on August 31. “It was a decision that hurt – and it still hurts deep inside – but I understand that the time has come.“I swear to you that I always gave everything – not only in these last years when we won everything, but also before that. I always fought and left everything on the pitch for this shirt, to bring you joy and through football to make you feel proud to be Argentine.”