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By Vy Anh  March 25, 2026 | 12:28 am PT
Lionel Messi has surpassed Brazilian football legend Pelé by scoring the 71st free-kick goal of his career during Inter Miami's 3-2 victory over New York City FC in Major League Soccer (MLS).
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Lionel Messi celebrates a goal for Inter Miami in the match against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium in New York on March 23, 2026. Photo by Reuters |
The milestone strike came in the 61st minute while Miami was trailing 2-1 on March 23. Stepping up to a free kick from roughly 25 m out, the Argentine superstar delivered a shot that deflected off the defensive wall, leaving New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese no chance to make a save.
With this goal, Messi moves past the late Brazilian legend Pelé, who recorded 70 free-kick goals during his career.
The 38-year-old is now just six goals shy of tying the all-time record held by Brazilian free-kick specialist Juninho Pernambucano, who scored 77.
The top 10 group of all-time free-kick scorers is heavily dominated by South Americans, featuring six Brazilians and three Argentines. Alongside Juninho and Pelé, Brazil is represented by Ronaldinho, Zico, Marcelinho Carioca and legendary goalkeeper Rogério Ceni. Argentina has Messi, Víctor Legrotaglie and Diego Maradona, while Dutch icon Ronald Koeman rounds out the elite group, according to OneFootball.
The successful free kick also marked Messi's 901st goal in his career. He reached the 900-goal milestone days earlier during a 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16. Following their elimination from that tournament, Inter Miami's schedule will focus only on the MLS.
Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano confirmed that Messi will not be rested during the critical period leading up to this summer's World Cup, noting that the team rely heavily on him to achieve their goals.
Following the club fixture, Messi immediately joined the Argentina national team to prepare for upcoming international friendlies against Mauritania on March 27 and Zambia on March 31.
He has yet to confirm his participation in the 2026 World Cup in North America, maintaining that his decision will depend entirely on his physical condition ahead of the tournament.
