Lionel Messi has made history since arriving in MLS with Inter Miami CF, but this weekend he could break another record against Toronto FC.
By scoring his 23rd regular-season goal with the club against the Philadelphia Union in last week’s 2-1 win, the Argentine No.10 equaled Gonzalo Higuain as the club’s all-time leading scorer. Since joining the club in 2023, Messi has recorded 23 goals and 20 assists, bringing his total goal involvement to 43.
Messi vs Higuain head to head
The magic of Messi, however, lies in the fact that he achieved it in just 28 regular season games with the club, compared to the 67 it took Higuain to score. In fact, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner could eclipse the Argentine this weekend.
Higuain, who played with Messi in his 75 games for the Argentina national team, was one of Miami’s star signings during the club’s early struggles in its first years in MLS
Higuain led the team in scoring for two seasons, with 12 goals in 2021 and 16 in 2022. He also helped the Herons reach their first MLS Cup playoff appearance in 2022.
Lionel Messi could easily surpass Higuain’s mark
Messi could surpass Higuain’s mark with a goal or an assist on Sunday, when Miami host Toronto FC at the Chase Stadium
However, he could have limited minutes, as in the middle of the week he will play a more important match against LAFC, where the Herons are looking to come back from a 1-0 first leg defeat in the Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-finals.
Messi already leads Inter Miami in historic assists with 20 and only needs seven goals to surpass Higuain’s mark as the club’s all-time leading scorer
In early 2025, the 37-year-old became the fastest player to reach 40 goal contributions in MLS, reaching that mark with 19 assists and 21 goals in just 26 regular season games.
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