Lionel Messi scored four goals and supplied an assist as Inter Miami overwhelmed CF Montréal 7-1 in Major League Soccer.
The performance ended Miami’s five-match winless run, set a club record for goals in one game and moved Messi to the top of the MLS scoring chart.
MIAMI | By Sayer Zaland
Lionel Messi produced the first four-goal MLS performance of his career on Saturday, driving Inter Miami to a record 7-1 home victory over CF Montréal.
The 39-year-old scored either side of halftime, completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute and added a second free kick in stoppage time. He also provided an assist as Miami ended a five-game winless sequence across all competitions.
Messi broke a 1-1 deadlock with a free kick in the 40th minute before scoring again after a solo run in the 52nd. He later chipped Montréal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier for his third and completed the rout with another free kick from distance.
Casemiro opened his MLS scoring account with a header in the 20th minute, while Luis Suárez also found the net. Miami’s seven goals were the most the club has scored in a single match.
The four-goal return lifted Messi to 18 league goals this season, two ahead of FC Dallas forward Petar Musa in the Golden Boot race. He has also registered 10 assists.
MLS said Messi became the 19th player in league history to score four times in one match. He also became the fastest player to reach 20 multi-goal MLS games, achieving the mark in 72 appearances.
“We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player who makes history,” Miami midfielder Casemiro told Apple TV after the match.
Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, who watched from the stands while serving a suspension, said Messi’s performance left him struggling to find an adequate description.
The victory provided an immediate response after Miami’s difficult five-match run, although the defending MLS Cup champions remain 10 points behind Nashville SC in the race for the Supporters’ Shield and the top position in the Eastern Conference.
Miami are scheduled to face Atlanta United next Saturday as incoming head coach Cristian “Kily” González prepares to take charge.
The match figures were confirmed in the official MLS report and independently reported by Reuters.
File photo: Lionel Messi plays for Inter Miami against New England Revolution in July 2025. Photo by Bryan Berlin/Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.