Lionel Messi delivered a historic performance on Saturday, scoring four goals in a Major League Soccer match for the first time in his career, as Inter Miami cruised to a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal at Chase Stadium in Miami, Florida, USA.
The win snapped a five-game winless run across all competitions for Inter Miami (12-4-6, 42 points), who secured a crucial three points in their playoff push. Montreal (5-11-6, 21 points) saw their four-game unbeaten streak in league play come to an end.
Messi, who also provided an assist, broke a 1-1 tie shortly before halftime, then added goals in the 52nd and 83rd minutes before capping the display with a free kick in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time. The Argentine forward now has 18 goals this season, passing Dallas' Petar Musa (16) for the lead in the MLS Golden Boot race.
"There are no words to describe such footballing beauty," said Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos, who watched the match from a skybox due to a suspension. "So much is going on that words simply fall short. He is constantly looking for that goal, that play, that pass; I don't think he's an ordinary footballer. Analysing him, both as a player and as a person, goes so deep that you run out of words."
Hoyos was suspended for the match for violating the league's Late Kickoff Policy multiple times in recent matches, so assistant coach Rafael Perez took charge on the sideline. Hoyos is set to be replaced by Argentine Kily Gonzalez, who was hired this week but is waiting for necessary paperwork to clear.
Casemiro, Luis Suarez, and rookie Alexander Shaw also scored for Inter Miami. Casemiro, who joined Miami in July after his contract expired at Manchester United, headed home a corner from Telasco Segovia in the 20th minute to open the scoring. Montreal equalized in the 37th minute through Fabian Herbers' first goal of the season, but Messi quickly restored the lead with a free kick just inside the near post that goalkeeper Thomas Gillier couldn't stop.
Messi's second goal was a solo effort, weaving past three defenders before firing past Gillier. Suarez scored in the 80th minute on a counterattack, and Shaw added another in the 89th minute of just his third career MLS match.
Casemiro, who spent years facing Messi as a Real Madrid player while Messi starred for Barcelona, praised his teammate after the match. "That's what it means to have Messi on the team," Casemiro told Apple TV. "We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history."
Messi's four-goal outing was the ninth time in his professional career he has scored four or more goals in a match. The result also marked a milestone for the 39-year-old, who previously had never netted four goals in an MLS game.