The numbers surrounding Lionel Messi stopped belonging to earthly football a long time ago — but every week he reminds everyone anyway. His latest demonstration came in Cincinnati, where he delivered a performance that shook the MLS all over again: one goal, three assists, and the undeniable feeling that, at 38 years old, he’s still writing his own mythology without slowing down.

And still, the most astonishing part wasn’t the 4-0 scoreline, but the historic dimension of what the Argentine achieved with those four contributions.

The Man Who Shatters Every Statistic

The win over Cincinnati produced a number that feels like science fiction: 1,300 goal contributions in his professional career. Messi reached that milestone with 896 goals and 404 assists, accumulated across FC Barcelona, PSG, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team. It’s a mark no other player in history has even approached with such consistency, across so many levels, and for such an extended period of time.

The wildest part? There are no signs he’s slowing down. Messi is playing his best football since arriving in Miami, with total influence in the game, full leadership, and a direct path toward what could be his first major title with the American club. Even more importantly, he’s doing it just months before what might be his final World Cup, although he himself has insisted he has no retirement date in mind.

A Record Shared… but Not for Long

His performance delivered another massive milestone: with those three assists, Messi tied Ferenc Puskás as the player with the most registered assists in football history (404).

The Argentine has already surpassed virtually every record imaginable, but this one — one of the most symbolic of all — feels destined to belong to him outright in a matter of days.

That next chance will come in the MLS Eastern Conference Final, the first in Inter Miami’s history, where Messi will attempt to guide the club to its debut appearance in the MLS Cup Final.

If Cincinnati made anything clear, it’s this: when the ball flows through Messi, the statistics tremble.