Messi nets four and assists one as Inter Miami demolish Montréal 7-1 in record win

Lionel Messi delivered one of the most dominant individual performances in Inter Miami’s short history on Saturday, scoring four goals and assisting another in a 7-1 demolition of CF Montréal at Nu Stadium — the club’s biggest ever winning margin.

Messi opened his account in the 40th minute with a direct free kick that caught Montréal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier off guard at the near post. Twelve minutes later he doubled his tally, dribbling past three defenders before finishing, with that 16th league goal of the season drawing him level with FC Dallas’s Petar Musa for the 2026 MLS season-high.

The Argentine then turned provider in the 80th minute, teeing up Luis Suárez for Inter Miami’s fourth of the night, before completing his hat-trick three minutes later with a delicate chipped shot. It was the 62nd hat-trick of Messi’s club career.

A second direct free kick rounded off a four-goal haul and made Messi only the ninth player in MLS history to score at least two direct free kicks in a single match.

The 7-1 scoreline was not only Inter Miami’s largest margin of victory but also the first time the club has scored seven goals in a single game. The MLS record for most goals by one team in a match remains eight, set by LA Galaxy in 1998.