Does Lionel Messi care about Cristiano Ronaldo's 1,000-goal target?! Inter Miami star's interest questioned as he's backed to reach same milestone

Giuseppe Rossi made his way to Old Trafford in 2004, the year after Ronaldo was snapped up by the Red Devils as a fleet-footed teenager. He got to witness the first steps being taken down a road that has led to global superstardom.

He is not surprised by anything that Ronaldo has achieved, with his determination to be the best being spotted at an early age. The evergreen frontman is still going strong at 41 years of age - domestically and internationally, as he prepares to captain Portugal at the 2026 World Cup.

Ronaldo - with back-to-back Golden Boots being secured in the Middle East - has reached 965 career goals and is fast closing in on four figures. He holds countless other entries in the history books and boasts league titles, Champions League crowns and five Ballons d’or on his glittering CV.

Argentine icon Messi has been able to match, or better, much of what his fellow GOAT has achieved. With that in mind, could reaching 1,000 goals be considered Ronaldo’s greatest legacy?

When that question was put to Rossi, the ex-Red Devils forward - speaking in association with BetVictor Online Casino - told GOAL: “Yeah, it's interesting. I never thought about if that's the biggest part of his legacy. I mean, he loves the individual awards. He loves the individual accolades, right? So maybe that will be the thing that he'll lean on the most and rightfully so. 

“Listen, scoring 1,000 goals for a striker, I'm a striker, I wish I had 1,000 goals! We all do. Scoring is the most difficult thing in the game of football and he was able to do it 1,000 times. So why not be proud of it? Why not, you know, hold your chest out high and be like, ‘yeah, I was able to do so’.”

Messi, who will turn 39 in June, may have a similar milestone in his sights. He has committed to a contract extension at MLS Cup winners Inter Miami that will keep him in the United States through 2028.

He also savoured Golden Boot success in 2025 and continues to post 30 or 40-plus goals per season. The South American No.10 is poised to pass the 900-mark and will believe that he is capable of joining Ronaldo in another exclusive club.

Will achievements such as that play on Messi’s mind? When that poser was put to him, Rossi said: “I'm not sure. I don't know. Do you think he even knows about that? Do you think he even cares about that? Maybe he does deep down, but I think it's two different ways that they approach the game. But I'm sure that Messi will get to 1,000 in the next three years. I think where he's at, he's at Miami until 2028, I'm sure that he'll get there.”

Messi is expected to form part of Argentina’s squad at this summer’s World Cup, as they seek to defend a prestigious global title, while Ronaldo is looking to make history by guiding Portugal to that trophy for the first time.

Having enjoyed a fairytale career so far, it has been suggested that CR7 could deliver another blockbuster script by registering his 1,000th goal in the World Cup final. The man himself is not so sure, saying when asked if such heroics are feasible: “You've been watching too many movies, that would be too perfect. Getting back to reality, all this data makes me happy. A national team never depends on one player, but I like being able to make a difference with goals. It's always good to score goals, that's my position. I want to play in this next World Cup, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but let's take it step by step. If that happened, it would be a good sign, I'd end my career on a high note.”

Ronaldo has faced questions of his future in Saudi Arabia over recent weeks, having taken strike action and picked up an untimely injury. He is, however, under contract until 2027 and is expected to be plying his club trade somewhere beyond another major international tournament - with any thoughts of retirement being put on hold indefinitely.