Lionel Messi has admitted that while he personally pays little attention to his pursuit of 1,000 career goals, his children make sure the milestone is never far from his mind.
The Argentina and Inter Miami captain delivered an impressive performance on Wednesday, scoring twice and providing an assist as his side came from behind to beat Cincinnati 5-3, extending their away winning run to seven matches.
The result took Messi’s career goal tally to 909, leaving him 91 goals short of the historic 1,000-goal mark.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who turns 39 in June, said he is not personally fixated on reaching the milestone, but according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, his kids frequently bring it up and keep the conversation alive at home.
Meanwhile, his long-standing rival Cristiano Ronaldo sits considerably closer to the landmark, having already amassed 965 career goals at the age of 41.
The Portugal captain, who currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, is widely regarded as the favourite to become the first player in football history to reach 1,000 career goals and potentially do so before Messi gets anywhere near the figure.
The contrasting timelines of the two footballing legends continue to fuel debate among fans, with Ronaldo’s superior current tally suggesting he will claim the historic milestone first.
