Two away from eternity! Messi hunts the last free-kick record

Lionel Messi is two free-kick goals away from footballing immortality after another masterpiece for Inter Miami.

Details: Messi scored his 76th career free-kick overnight, a stunning strike from an almost impossible angle against Columbus Crew. He now sits second on the all-time list, just two behind the legendary Brazilian Marcelinho Carioca, who holds the record with 78. Jair Rosa Pinto (74), Roberto Dinamite (73) and Juninho Pernambucano (72) complete the top five.

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The latest golazo came in a painful defeat: Columbus snatched a 2-1 win in stoppage time despite Messi's brilliance. But even in loss, the 38 year old keeps bending football history to his will. Only recently he moved past Pele's famous free-kick mark, and now the final summit is in sight. Given his current form in MLS, where he has been producing goals and magic weekly under coach Kily Gonzalez, the question is not whether Messi will break the record, but how many weeks it will take.

It's worth noting that free-kick records are among the most sacred in the game, built over entire careers. Messi reaching 76 at 38, still scoring them from angles that defy geometry, is a reminder that we are watching the greatest to ever do it, still writing chapters.

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