The Argentine superstar scored twice from free-kicks, completed a memorable hat-trick and added an assist as the Herons ended a five-game winless run in emphatic fashion at Nu Stadium. The result also set a new club record for the most goals scored in a single match.
Casemiro opened the scoring in the 20th minute, heading home from a Telasco Segovia corner for his first MLS goal since joining the club. Montreal briefly levelled through Fabian Herbers in the 37th minute, but Messi restored the lead just three minutes later with a deflected free-kick that found the net via the post and goalkeeper.
After the interval Messi took complete control. In the 52nd minute he produced a moment of individual brilliance, weaving past three defenders before finishing coolly to make it 3-1. He then turned provider, playing a perfectly weighted ball for Luis Suárez to score the fourth in the 80th minute.
Messi completed his hat-trick three minutes later with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, before 18-year-old substitute Alexander Shaw added a sixth with his first MLS goal in the 89th minute. The night was not finished. Deep into stoppage time Messi stepped up once more and curled home another free-kick to seal his fourth goal of the evening and put the final score at 7-1.
The 39-year-old now leads the MLS Golden Boot race with 18 goals this season, moving clear of Petar Musa of FC Dallas. It was Messi’s first four-goal haul in MLS and the first time he has scored four in a single match since February 2020 while still at Barcelona.
Interim coach Guillermo Hoyos was left searching for words after the performance. The victory lifts Inter Miami further up the Eastern Conference standings and provides a significant boost ahead of the arrival of new head coach Kily González.
For Montreal the heavy defeat ended a four-game unbeaten run and exposed defensive vulnerabilities against one of the league’s most potent attacks. Messi’s masterclass once again underlined why he remains the standout performer in MLS even at this stage of his career.