Inter Miami's crisis won't stop Messi from “giving Cristiano Ronaldo a run for his money” in their race for the 1,000th goal

Lionel Messi 's pursuit of 1,000 career goals has taken another twist, with the Inter Miami superstar continuing to close in on Cristiano Ronaldo despite his club's increasingly difficult run of form.

Inter Miami 's problems have become impossible to ignore. The Herons suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Toronto FC on Saturday, extending their winless run to five matches and leaving them with four defeats in their last five games.

Messi scored again, but his effort was not enough to prevent another setback. For Messi , however, the individual milestone remains within sight.

The Argentine has already surpassed the 900-goal mark for his senior career, and his latest goal against Toronto took his tally to 923. Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, is considerably closer to the landmark, having reached 978 after scoring against Al-Riyadh on August 21. That leaves the Portuguese forward needing only 22 more goals to reach 1,000.

That gap makes Ronaldo the clear favorite to get there first, but Messi's scoring rate means the race is far from irrelevant.

The two greatest forwards of their generation have spent much of their careers being compared, from their battles for the Ballon d'Or to their extraordinary scoring records. Now, at the respective ends of their careers, another statistical competition has emerged.

Messi has more ground to make up, but the numbers remain remarkable

Ronaldo's advantage is largely the result of longevity. The 41-year-old has played more games than Messi and has continued to score at an extraordinary rate well into his forties.

The Al Nassr forward entered the new season needing only a relatively modest number of goals to reach four figures. He has also shown repeatedly that age has not stopped him from producing prolific numbers, having scored 50, 35 and 30 league goals across his previous three Saudi Pro League campaigns.

Messi's task is substantially harder. At 39, he needs roughly 77 more goals from his current tally to reach 1,000. Yet there is an argument that the Argentine's efficiency gives him a genuine chance to remain in the conversation.

A recent comparison by AS noted that Messi has historically scored more frequently in terms of minutes per goal than Ronaldo , despite the Portuguese star having accumulated more goals overall. Messi has also rediscovered his club scoring touch since joining Inter Miami, scoring 90 goals in 104 appearances for the Herons according to the outlet's figures.

That productivity is particularly important because Messi does not need to match Ronaldo goal for goal to make the chase interesting. He simply needs to maintain a high enough scoring rate and continue playing for several more seasons.

The Inter Miami situation could make that more difficult. The club's recent slump has put greater pressure on Messi to produce, while the team is also dealing with a demanding schedule. The Herons have struggled to turn his individual contributions into results, even as he continues to find the net.

Messi's personal circumstances have also made his recent performances more remarkable. His father, Jorge Messi , died on August 8 at the age of 68, yet Messi returned to action and scored his first goal since the loss against the Philadelphia Union , dedicating the moment to his father.

The latest Toronto goal showed the same pattern: Messi continues to deliver individually even when Miami cannot find a way to win.

Ronaldo therefore remains firmly in control of the 1,000-goal race. With fewer than two dozen goals separating him from the landmark, he could potentially reach it during the 2026-27 campaign.

Messi's route is much longer, and whether he gets there may ultimately depend on how long he chooses to continue playing. But the Argentine has already demonstrated that counting him out is dangerous.

Inter Miami may be in crisis, but Messi's scoring production has not disappeared. If he maintains that level for the next few years, he could still “give Cristiano Ronaldo a run for his money” in one of the most remarkable individual races football has ever seen.