Lionel Messi produced another moment of set-piece brilliance for Inter Miami, curling a spectacular free-kick into the far top corner against Columbus Crew on Sunday to take his career tally to 76.
Messi stepped up in the 33rd minute after Columbus had taken an early lead through Josef Martínez. From a difficult position near the right touchline, the Argentine opted against crossing into the box and instead attempted a direct effort.
His left-footed strike sailed over the defensive wall before finding the far corner beyond the reach of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte to level the contest at 1-1.
Inter Miami were unable to complete the comeback, however, as Columbus Crew eventually secured a 2-1 victory with a late stoppage-time goal.
The latest effort took Messi’s official career tally of direct free-kick goals to 76 across spells with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina.
According to figures cited by football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 39-year-old is now two goals away from the 78-goal mark widely attributed to Brazilian set-piece specialist Marcelinho Carioca.
Messi has enjoyed an impressive run from dead-ball situations in 2026. He previously scored a free-kick against San Diego FC to reach 75 before adding two more in Inter Miami’s 7-1 victory over CF Montréal.
He has also found the net from free-kicks against Orlando City and New York City FC, while scoring one for Argentina against Jordan at the World Cup.
The latest strike further underlined Messi’s enduring quality from set pieces late in his career. He scored 50 direct free-kicks during his Barcelona years, with Argentina and Inter Miami accounting for much of the remainder.
Messi’s overall career goal tally has now moved beyond 931.
However, historical free-kick records can vary depending on the criteria and matches included by different statistical compilers. Some tallies place former Brazil and Lyon star Juninho Pernambucano on 77 direct free-kick goals.
Recent figures nevertheless place Marcelinho Carioca and Messi among the leading specialists, with the Argentine now just two behind the 78-goal mark.
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