The Messi versus Ronaldo numbers game has moved again. Lionel Messi scored the winner as Inter Miami beat the New England Revolution 2-1 in Major League Soccer, taking his official career tally to 937 goals. That leaves the Argentine 48 goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who reached 985 after a hat-trick for Al Nassr against Al Kholood, according to counts by beIN Sports, ESPN and Yahoo Sports.
But depending on which column you check, the story flips. On goals alone, Ronaldo is still in front. Add assists, and beIN Sports says Messi now sits 119 goal contributions clear of the Portuguese star.
How Messi won it against New England
According to ESPN's weekly tracker, Messi's week did not start well. He came on for a 34-minute spell that made little impact as Inter Miami fell 2-0 to Red Bull New York, a defeat that ended a three-match winning run. He was also quiet in the next outing, a 2-2 draw with FC Cincinnati.
The New England game changed the mood. Yahoo Sports dates the match to Sunday, November 1. New England, who had just overtaken Miami for second place, went ahead in the 53rd minute. Germán Berterame then levelled after Messi cleverly headed a chipped ball from Telasco Segovia back into his path, ESPN reported.
With the score at 1-1 and the visitors seemingly content with a point, Messi produced a moment of individual brilliance. ESPN described him pulling defender Ethan Kohler along, nudging the ball past one side of him and running around the other, collecting a fine pass from Segovia, bursting into the area and firing low into the far corner. Major League Soccer's official account posted that Messi had dribbled past three defenders before scoring.
The win did more than boost his numbers. ESPN said it locked in Inter Miami's place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup and lifted them back to second in the MLS Eastern Conference, one point ahead of New England, with only one regular-season fixture left. beIN Sports noted that Messi was involved in both Miami goals, setting up one and scoring the other, at the age of 39.
ESPN also highlighted an Instagram post marking the victory and the Champions Cup qualification, carrying the caption: "Another goal met, let's keep going."
Inside the numbers
By beIN Sports' count, Messi now has 937 goals and 428 assists for club and country, a combined 1,365 goal contributions. Ronaldo stands at 985 goals and 261 assists, or 1,246 contributions. That gives Messi his 119-contribution edge, and beIN says he needs just 35 more to become the first player to hit 1,400.
Ronaldo's 985 goals have come from 1,343 appearances, while Messi's 937 have come in 1,184 matches, beIN Sports reported. The outlet added that Messi scores roughly once every 104 minutes, slightly quicker than Ronaldo's average of a goal every 111 minutes. In the 2026 season alone, the Inter Miami captain has 26 goals and 13 assists.
