Messi reaches 82 MLS goals, passes Ruidíaz on South American scoring list

Another brace, another record. Lionel Messi made the difference against Atlanta United once again, and along the way he knocked down a number that will now go into MLS history: with those two goals he reached 82 goals in the US league and took the sixth spot on the South American scoring list away from Raúl Ruidíaz.

It's no small thing for anyone who follows MLS closely. The Peruvian forward, nicknamed "La Pulga," had set the mark at 81 goals over seven seasons with the Seattle Sounders, the club he also helped win the league title with in 2019. That number had stood as the benchmark, and now it takes a back seat the moment Messi showed up with his usual finishing touch against Atlanta.

What stands out is that the regular season still isn't over. There are a couple of matchdays left to play before the playoffs begin, so Argentina's national team captain still has plenty of room to keep climbing the table. How far can he go? That's the fun part of taking it game by game.

A South American podium that's still a ways off

Ahead of Messi on the list of MLS's top South American scorers are some heavyweight names. Colombia's Fredy Montero has 86 goals, just four more than the Argentine. Above him sits Uruguay's Diego Rossi, with 90, and fellow Argentine Diego Valeri, who scored 93 goals during his time in the league.

The rest of the podium looks out of immediate reach for now: Venezuela's Josef Martínez has 138 goals, and Bolivia's Jaime Moreno leads the way with 145. Those are big gaps to close, but it's worth remembering Messi didn't arrive in MLS until mid-2023, and he's already broken into the top six South American scorers the league has ever had.

With his sights set on cracking the top three before his time at Inter Miami is through, every game left in the regular season, and the playoffs after that, becomes another chance to close the gap on Montero, Rossi and Valeri. MLS has another big name fighting for a place in its scoring history.