Lionel Messi Matches Pele, Puskas, Di Stefano, and Romario With Incredible Goal Scoring Record

• Only five football players have scored at least 100 goals in three different decades
• Lionel Messi joined the list after his hot start with his new MLS club Inter Miami
• Messi has scored nine goals in six Leagues Cup matches for the Herons

Lionel Messi’s career in the United States is off to a spectacular start.

He has transformed Inter Miami, leading the club to the Leagues Cup final after scoring nine goals in his first six matches for the Herons.

That scorching start helped Messi join an exclusive list of players who scored at least 100 goals in three different decades.

Sports Brief looks at the football legends who have accomplished this rare feat.

Ferenc Puskas

Puskas is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time. He started his professional career in 1943 with the Hungarian club Kispest.

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He immediately showed his scoring prowess in the 1940s, recording 294 goals during that decade, per 90Min.

He continued banging in the goals as part of Budapest Honved and Real Madrid in the 1950s, scoring 275 goals.

The Hungarian forward remained a significant part of Los Blancos and the Spanish national team in the 1960s. He scored 155 goals during this decade before retiring.

Alfredo Di Stefano

Di Stefano started his career in Argentina, playing for clubs such as River Plate, and Huracan in the 1940s. He showed his scoring prowess immediately, recording 115 goals during that decade.

He stepped it up a notch in the 1950s when he joined Spanish giants Real Madrid, scoring 315 goals during that decade.

Di Stefano played for Los Blancos and Espanyol in the 1960s as he winded down his career, scoring 101 goals during that period.

Pele

The Brazilian star’s scoring exploits with Santos are the stuff of legends. He started his career with them in 1956 and immediately showed his goal-scoring talent. He recorded 225 goals in the 1950s.

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He continued banging in the goals in the 1960s, netting 437 during that decade. Fifty of Pele’s goals during that decade were scored as a member of the Brazilian national team.

Pele played for Santos and New York Cosmos in the 1970s as he winded down his professional career, scoring 100 goals during that decade.

Pele scored a total of 643 goals for Santos in 656 appearances, per Goal.com.

Romario

Romario started his career with Vasco da Gama in 1985 and immediately showed his goal-scoring talent.

He scored 80 goals in 141 league appearances for the Brazilian side before moving to PSV Eindhoven in 1988.

He finished the 1980s with 162 goals to his name.

Romario’s popularity exploded in the 1990s when he led Brazil to the World Cup title in 1994.

He also played for PSV, Barcelona, Flamengo, and Valencia during the 1990s, amassing 402 goals during that period.

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He still was active in the 2000s, playing for teams such as Vasco da Gama, Fluminense, Al Sadd, Miami FC, Adelaide United, and America-RJ.

Romario scored 191 goals in that decade before retiring in November 2009.

Lionel Messi

Messi burst into the scene in the 2000s as part of Barcelona’s star-studded lineup.

He immediately showed he was a force to be reckoned with, scoring 169 goals during that decade as part of the Catalan giants and Argentina’s national team.

There was no stopping Messi when he hit his peak in the 2010s, scoring 546 goals for club and country.

Messi is showing no signs of slowing down as he continues scoring goals in the 2020s.

He led Argentina to the World Cup title in 2022 and is now making waves in the United States as a member of Inter Miami.

He has scored 101 goals during this period, with his latest coming in the Leagues Cup semifinal against Philadelphia Union.

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Messi the miracle worker

Sports Brief recently reported on Messi being a miracle worker for Inter Miami.

The Herons had the worst record in the MLS when Messi joined them last month.

He helped turn things around, leading Inter Miami to victories in each of his six matches in the Leagues Cup.