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Lionel Messi is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, with many believing the Argentine superstar surpasses all his illustrious contemporaries. At 38, Messi’s trophy cabinet is a source of envy for countless players, and he holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards, with eight—three more than Cristiano Ronaldo. During his peak at Barcelona, Messi was a breathtaking sight on the pitch, effortlessly maneuvering past defenders, and he still wields an extraordinary left foot.
The diminutive forward made 778 appearances for the Catalan club, becoming Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer with 672 goals. While his club career lost some luster after he joined PSG in 2021, Messi led Argentina to glory when they clinched the World Cup in 2022. Now in the twilight of his career at Inter Miami, he recently celebrated his 100th goal contribution, which included three assists against New England. Remarkably, Messi reached this milestone in just 80 games with Inter Miami, prompting us to examine the players who achieved 100 goals and assists for an MLS club in the fewest appearances.
Who are the quickest players to register 100 goal contributions for MLS clubs?
It’s no surprise that Messi is the fastest player to achieve this milestone, substantially ahead of the competition. The Argentine captain reached 100 goal contributions for Inter Miami in 20 fewer games than second-placed Sebastian Giovinco. His third assist against New England marked his 101st contribution, tallying 66 goals and 35 assists to date. Former Juventus star Giovinco had a stellar finish to his career with Toronto FC, accumulating 131 goal contributions in 142 games, needing 100 matches to hit his own century.
As depicted in the graphic above, Carlos Vela ranks third, requiring 101 games to reach the century of goal contributions for LAFC. While Vela showed promise as a young talent at Arsenal, his career truly blossomed in MLS. Other notable names in the top ten include Robbie Keane for LA Galaxy in sixth place and David Villa for New York City in eighth.
