Lionel Messi’s goal at the CONCACAF Champions Cup, just seconds after the Nashville crowd chanted Ronaldo’s name, became a viral video.
In the 52nd minute, when Inter Miami was down 2-0 in the first leg of the round of 16 of the tournament considered the North and Central American Champions League on March 8, the Nashville Club audience in the area behind the home team’s goal began to chant: “Ronaldo, Ronaldo”.
A spectator in the area held a phone to film Messi as he walked, not reacting to the shouts. But just 10 seconds later, he ran to the edge of the penalty area, received the ball, pushed it a bit and then curled the ball into the left corner from 18 meters away.
Messi (left) celebrates scoring against Nashville at GEODIS Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 on the evening of March 7, 2024. Photo: USA Today
The Nashville crowd was silent, save for the cheers from Messi and Inter Miami fans. One home fan also held his head and opened his mouth in amazement. A video of the moment was posted on social media by a fan a few days ago, attracting tens of millions of views across platforms.
The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with Luis Suarez scoring a late header for Inter Miami. In the return match on March 14, Messi and Suarez continued to score, helping the home team beat Nashville 3-1. Inter Miami won 5-3 on aggregate, advancing to the quarterfinals in their first appearance in the tournament, where they will face Monterrey (Mexico).
The moment Messi scored after the audience chanted Ronaldo’s name.
It is unclear whether the Nashville audience was referring to “Alien” Ronaldo Nazario or superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. But it is likely that they meant the Portuguese captain – who plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Because recently, Ronaldo has also been under a lot of pressure when Middle Eastern audiences chanted Messi’s name. At times, he responded with offensive behavior, leading to a one-match suspension .
Ronaldo holds the record for most goals scored of all time, with 879 in 1,212 games. Messi is second with 826 in 1,052 games. Several Argentine newspapers often publish headlines such as “How many goals is Messi away from Ronaldo’s record?” after each match of the Inter Miami captain. Ronaldo is 53 goals ahead of Messi in all competitions. But if you exclude the goals for Al Nassr and Inter Miami, Ronaldo is only 19 goals ahead of Messi.
Messi holds the record for eight Ballon d’Ors, while Ronaldo is behind with five awards. The Al Nassr captain’s chances of equalling Messi’s achievements are almost gone, as he is already 39 years old.
