Messi's Four-Goal Masterclass Leads Inter Miami to Rout of Montreal

Lionel Messi scored the first hat-trick of his MLS career during Inter Miami’s dominant 7-1 victory over Montreal in the early hours of Sunday morning. At 39 years old, the Argentine also delivered an assist, finishing the evening with five direct contributions.

Interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos, who had worked with Messi as a teenager at FC Barcelona, made no attempt to hide his astonishment. “He constantly seeks that goal, that action, that pass. I don’t think he’s an ordinary footballer,” he said after the match, before adding: “There are no words to describe such footballing beauty.”

On the pitch, Messi first opened his account from a free kick before halftime, then doubled his tally by cutting through Montreal’s defense alone. He then set up Luis Suarez with an assist before completing his hat-trick with a chipped finish in the 83rd minute. As if three goals weren’t enough, he added a fourth in stoppage time, once again from a free kick.

With this four-goal haul, Messi brings his season total to 18 goals and takes sole possession of the MLS scoring charts. Casemiro, long a rival during Clásicos between Real Madrid and Barcelona, now his teammate in Florida, chose admiration over analysis. “We must enjoy these moments, because this is a player who is writing history,” the Brazilian said.

At an age when most players manage their decline, the 2022 World Cup champion continues to provoke in his coaches and teammates the same mixture of disbelief and admiration he inspired fifteen years ago.