Messi on course for 900 faster than Ronaldo after left-footed goal No. 749

Lionel Messi conjured another moment of brilliance in the 90th minute when his sumptuous left-footed curler found the corner in Inter Miami's 2-1 loss to Nashville SC on Saturday. The strike was Messi's 749th with his favoured left foot -- nearly 84 percent of his career total -- taking his overall tally to 892 as he closes in on the 900-goal mark. In contrast, his long-time rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, now on 952 goals, has scored 182 goals (19.1 percent of his career total) with his weaker left foot and is the only player to breach the 900-mark. With 892 goals in 1,132 appearances, Messi looks set to reach that mark faster than Ronaldo, who took 1,236 games. Photo: Reuters