Messi extends free-kick lead over Ronaldo

Argentinian forward Lionel Messi, who plays for Inter Miami, has extended his lead over Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo in terms of the number of goals scored from free-kicks.

Messi scored his 63rd free-kick goal in the Leagues Cup match against Mexican club "Cruz Azul" (2:1). He netted the winning goal in the 94th minute. Ronaldo is currently three goals behind Messi, with a total of 60 free-kick goals to his name.

As a reminder, Messi joined Inter Miami as a free agent. The club signed a contract with him that will be valid until the summer of 2026. The specific terms of the contract were not disclosed, but it is known that the forward became the highest-paid player in the Major League Soccer (MLS) in North America.

The 35-year-old Messi previously played for "Barcelona" and "Paris Saint-Germain" (PSG). During his time at Barcelona, he appeared in 778 matches across all competitions, scoring 672 goals, and providing 303 assists. With PSG, he played 75 matches, scoring 32 goals, and providing 35 assists. Messi is a 10-time Spanish champion, a 2-time French champion, a 7-time winner of the Copa del Rey, an 8-time winner of the Spanish Super Cup, a 1-time winner of the French Cup, a 4-time UEFA Champions League winner, a 3-time UEFA Super Cup winner, and a 3-time Club World Cup winner.

Messi has been representing the Argentinian national team since 2005. He has played a total of 175 matches for the national team, scoring 103 goals and providing 56 assists. He has also received nine yellow and two red cards during his international career.