Lionel Messi reached yet another extraordinary milestone on Thursday night, netting the 900th goal of his illustrious career during Inter Miami CF’s 1-1 draw against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The 38-year-old icon becomes just the second player in football history to reach the landmark, joining his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the exclusive 900-goal club.

Messi’s milestone goal came in the seventh minute, as he fired a low, powerful strike past the Nashville defence, igniting early celebrations among the home supporters. The goal also marked a remarkable 21-year journey since his first senior strike for FC Barcelona in 2005.

Since moving to Inter Miami in 2023, Messi has scored 81 goals for the club, adding to his staggering career tally, which includes 672 goals for Barcelona, 32 for Paris Saint-Germain, and 115 for the Argentina national team.

However, the historic achievement was overshadowed by disappointment for Inter Miami. Nashville SC found an equaliser in the 74th minute, and the match ended 1-1. With the first leg having finished goalless, the tie was decided on away goals, leading to Miami’s elimination from the competition.

Despite the team’s exit, the night will be remembered for another defining chapter in Messi’s legendary career—one that further cements his place among football’s greatest ever players.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially overturned the result of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, stripping Senegal of their 1-0 victory and awarding a 3-0 win to Morocco.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the CAF Appeal Committee ruled that Senegal forfeited the final in accordance with Article 84 of the competition’s regulations. As a result, Morocco’s national team, the Atlas Lions, have been declared champions of the tournament.

“The CAF Appeal Board decided that… the Senegal National Team is declared to have forfeited the Final Match… with the result recorded as 3–0 in favour of the Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football (FRMF),” the statement read.

The decision also addressed disciplinary issues arising from the match, including sanctions involving Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari and other incidents. However, CAF upheld the forfeiture ruling, confirming Morocco as the new holders of the continental title.

Nigeria’s hopes of featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup have officially been extinguished after FIFA confirmed the Democratic Republic of Congo as Africa’s representative in the upcoming inter-confederation play-off tournament.

In an accreditation notice released to international media on Wednesday, football’s global governing body outlined details of the six-nation play-off competition set to determine the final two qualification slots for the expanded World Cup to be co-hosted by 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

DR Congo Gets the Nod

DR Congo national football team will join five other nations — Bolivia national football team, Iraq national football team, Jamaica national football team, New Caledonia national football team, and Suriname national football team — in the high-stakes mini-tournament scheduled to kick off on March 26.

The confirmation effectively shuts the door on Nigeria’s challenge regarding the outcome of their November 2025 CAF play-off encounter against DR Congo.

Nigeria’s Protest Falls Short

The Nigeria national football team, popularly known as the Super Eagles, had contested their elimination after losing the decisive fixture to DR Congo via penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Nigeria’s football authorities filed a formal protest, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the match. However, FIFA’s latest communication indicates that the complaint did not alter the outcome, with DR Congo officially retained as Africa’s representative in the inter-confederation play-off.

Bitter End to World Cup Dream

For Nigeria, the confirmation represents a painful conclusion to a turbulent qualification campaign. The Super Eagles, three-time African champions and regular World Cup participants in recent decades, will now miss out on the historic first 48-team edition of the tournament.

With the inter-confederation play-off tournament set to determine the final two tickets to North America 2026, attention shifts to DR Congo and the five other contenders battling for a place on football’s biggest stage.

For Nigerian fans, however, the announcement marks the definitive end of the road in their quest for a return to the global showpiece.