Since arriving in South Florida in 2023, the Argentine superstar has continued to produce at a level that has allowed him to leave a mark on the franchise that few could have imagined when he first signed. Lionel Messi has reached another landmark in his remarkable Inter Miami career, further strengthening his case as the most important player the young club has ever had. Since arriving in South Florida in 2023, the Argentine superstar has continued to produce at a level that has allowed him to leave a mark on the franchise that few could have imagined when he first signed. At 39 years old, Messi is still adding to his extraordinary legacy and rewriting parts of Inter Miami‘s history that once seemed far beyond reach. Two club records now belong to him outright, underlining the extraordinary impact he has had in just over three seasons. When Messi joined the Herons in July 2023, the club was still in the early stages of its existence after being founded in 2018. Players such as Gonzalo Higuaín and Leonardo Campana had established some of the team’s leading individual marks, but Messi quickly changed the scale of what was possible. His arrival brought an immediate transformation on the field, with the World Cup winner combining goals, assists and match-winning performances while helping Inter Miami compete for major silverware. What makes his latest achievement especially remarkable is the speed with which he has climbed to the top of the club’s statistical charts. The gap between Messi and his closest challengers is now substantial. Luis Suárez, one of his former Barcelona teammates and a key part of Inter Miami’s attack, has scored 54 goals for the club, while Leonardo Campana has 32. Messi owns both major attacking records Messi’s place at the top of Inter Miami’s record books becomes clear when looking at the club’s all-time attacking statistics. He has scored 98 goals in 112 appearances across all competitions, making him the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, while his 54 assists also make him the franchise’s leading provider. Those numbers put Messi comfortably ahead of the competition in both categories. Suárez’s 54 goals leave him second in the scoring charts, while former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba sits well behind Messi in assists with 33. The achievement is even more impressive considering the relatively short period Messi has spent with the club. He has reached those totals in a little over three seasons, while continuing to perform at an elite level despite entering an age when most players have already retired. Luis Suarez of Inter Miami CF celebrating with German Berterame and Lionel Messi Record-breaking 2026 season as Messi’s impact goes beyond statistics Messi’s exceptional performance in the most recent MLS season has contributed to his impressive stats. He has recorded 18 goals and 12 assists in the 2026 regular season, continuing to rank among the league’s most productive attacking players. One of the defining moments came on August 29, when Messi produced a sensational individual display against Montreal. He scored four goals and supplied an assist in Inter Miami’s 7-1 victory, taking his club goal tally to 98 and leaving himself only two goals away from the 100-goal milestone. The numbers only tell part of the story of Messi’s influence at Inter Miami. Since his arrival, the club has won major trophies including the Leagues Cup, Supporters’ Shield and 2025 MLS Cup, while his presence has helped elevate the team’s profile both domestically and internationally. Messi has also played a major role in attracting global attention to MLS and Inter Miami. His partnerships with players such as Suarez and Alba have created a familiar Barcelona connection, while his performances alongside younger teammates have helped accelerate the club’s development.
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit (Picture: talkSPORT) Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Emmanuel Petit has already ruled one team out of this season’s Premier League title race. Defending champions Arsenal made a strong start to the season with comfortable victories over Coventry and Aston Villa in the opening fortnight of the season. And Mikel Arteta’s side laid down a further marker last weekend by coming from behind to beat London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners currently sit second in the table behind Manchester City, who have made an equally encouraging start to life under Enzo Maresca. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Despite losing several key players over the summer, City have won each of their opening three games, with new signings Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye making their debuts against Coventry City to add further depth to Maresca’s squad. Chelsea, meanwhile, sit fourth after their defeat to Arsenal, Xabi Alonso’s first loss in a competitive match since arriving at Stamford Bridge. The west London club have once again spent lavishly over the summer, with Morgan Rogers the marquee capture for a British-record transfer fee. Martin Odegaard helped Arsenal beat Chelsea to continue their perfect start to their title defence (Picture: Getty) But the Blues also added experience throughout the spine of their team, with the late signing of Emiliano Martinez a clear upgrade on previous first-choice Robert Sanchez. With no European football this season, Petit believes his former club should be aiming for at least a top-four finish this time around. But the Frenchman believes it is too early to consider Chelsea as genuine title contenders in what is ultimately Alonso’s first season as a manager in the English top-flight. Xabi Alonso lost his first game as Chelsea boss at the weekend (Picture: Getty) ‘I’m optimistic, as I said, for many reasons, but I believe in Alonso, and I really believe with the feeling of revenge from the players,’ Petit told talkSPORT. ‘I think so many players in the team last season were disappointed, and I expect something good this season. They owe something to the fans, to the club, but to themselves too. ‘I think they failed last season on so many points, but first of all, I think the commitment was not there.’ {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Alonso: Chelsea made to 'hurt' by Arsenal during 2-1 defeat","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/07\/4710295427016078709\/480x270_MP4_4710295427016078709.mp4","description":"1-0 up. 2-1 loss.","duration":"T6M45S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/07\/07\/111091357-0-image-a-105_1788761969650.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-07T07:19:25+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); Petit continued: ‘For me, it would be a failure if Chelsea don’t reach the Champions League spot at the end of the season. I think this is the minimum they can do. ‘As I said, I think Arsenal will win back-to-back Premier Leagues. As I said again, Chelsea will fight until the end for the title, but I think it’s probably too soon this season for Chelsea to be a real contender until the end. ‘But I believe that the
Arsenal and Chelsea were reportedly interested in signing the Racing Santander midfielder Sergio Martinez. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Real Madrid have beaten the competition from the Premier League clubs to sign the talented young midfielder. They have agreed to pay his €3 million release clause, and the player has now joined the Real […] The post Arsenal and Chelsea miss out as Real Madrid win transfer race for midfielder appeared first on CaughtOffside.
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