Lionel Messi responded to the threat of matching the longest club winless streak of his career by scoring four goals and adding an assist in Inter Miami’s historic 7-1 victory over CF Montréal.
Lionel Messi responds to unwanted record threat With four-goal masterclass
Lionel Messi responded to the threat of matching one of the worst winless streaks of his club career in extraordinary fashion, scoring four goals and providing an assist as Inter Miami destroyed CF Montréal 7-1.
The Argentine superstar entered the match having gone four consecutive club appearances without a victory.
Another failure to win would have taken Messi to five straight appearances without victory, matching the longest such run of his legendary club career.
Instead, Messi produced one of his most dominant MLS performances ever.
Messi scores four in historic Inter Miami win
Messi was directly involved in five of Inter Miami’s seven goals against Montréal.
He scored four times and also provided an assist as Miami completely overwhelmed their opponents.
The performance included two direct free-kick goals and several moments of individual brilliance.
It was the first time Messi had scored four goals in a single MLS match.
Messi avoids unwanted career record
The timing of the performance made it even more remarkable.
Before facing Montréal, Messi had gone four consecutive club appearances without a win.
His longest winless run at club level stood at five appearances, a streak dating back to his Barcelona days in 2013.
If Inter Miami had drawn or lost, Messi would have matched that unwanted mark.
Instead, he ended the run in the most emphatic way possible with four goals and one assist.
Inter Miami end five-game winless run
The victory also brought an end to a difficult period for Inter Miami.
The club had gone five matches without a victory across all competitions before facing Montréal.
Pressure had been growing around the team following a series of poor results.
The 7-1 win completely changed the mood.
Miami did not simply return to winning ways. They produced one of the biggest victories in club history.
Messi scores twice from direct free kicks
Two of Messi’s four goals came directly from free kicks.
That achievement placed him among a very small group of players to score multiple direct free kicks in the same MLS match.
The first helped Inter Miami take control of the contest before the Argentine continued to punish Montréal after half-time.
His final free kick in stoppage time completed an unforgettable four-goal performance.
Messi takes control of Golden Boot race
The four-goal explosion also transformed the MLS Golden Boot race.
Messi moved to 18 league goals for the season following the victory.
He also has 10 assists, underlining the scale of his influence on Inter Miami’s attack.
At the time of the latest update, Messi had moved ahead of Petar Musa in the scoring standings.
The Argentine is now firmly positioned among the leading candidates for the MLS Golden Boot.
Another MLS record falls
Messi also reached another significant league milestone during the victory.
He became the fastest player in MLS history to record 20 matches with at least two goals.
The former Barcelona star needed only 72 league appearances to reach the landmark.
Even at 39 years old, Messi continues to rewrite the MLS record books.
First four-goal MLS performance
Although Messi has produced numerous multi-goal performances since arriving in the United States, he had never previously scored four times in one MLS match.
The performance against Montréal therefore created another personal first.
It was also another rare four-goal match in the wider context of his professional career.
Only a select group of MLS players have ever scored four goals in a single game.
Inter Miami make club history
The 7-1 scoreline created history for Inter Miami as well.
It represented the biggest winning margin in the club’s history and the first time Miami had scored seven goals in a single match.
The result demonstrated how dangerous the team can become when Messi is operating at his highest level.
A team that had struggled for victories suddenly produced its most dominant attacking performance ever.
Messi directly involved in five goals
The individual numbers underline just how dominant Messi was.
Four goals alone would have been an extraordinary return.
Adding an assist meant the Argentine directly contributed to five of Miami’s seven goals.
His influence extended beyond finishing, with Messi repeatedly creating space and opportunities for teammates.
It was a complete attacking performance rather than simply a goalscoring exhibition.
Casemiro praises Messi after victory
Inter Miami teammate Casemiro was among those to praise Messi after the match.
The Brazilian midfielder highlighted the importance of enjoying the opportunity to play alongside the Argentine and helping him continue producing historic moments.
He also suggested that Messi remains capable of performing at an extraordinary level despite his age.
The comments reflected the mood around Miami after a night dominated by their captain.
Messi back in MVP conversation
The performance also strengthens Messi’s position in the MLS MVP discussion.
After winning the award in consecutive seasons, another strong campaign could put him in position to make further history.
His combination of goals, assists and match-winning performances continues to separate him from many of the league’s leading players.
If Messi maintains anything close to this level, a third straight MVP challenge will become increasingly difficult to ignore.
Perfect response to growing pressure
Just days earlier, the conversation around Messi and Inter Miami had been very different.
The team were struggling for wins, coaching changes were creating uncertainty and Messi was approaching an unwanted personal milestone.
One match completely transformed the narrative.
Instead of matching the longest club winless streak of his career, Messi delivered a historic performance that pushed him into the Golden Boot race and created several new MLS records.
Messi turns unwanted record warning into historic night
Messi has spent his career responding to pressure with extraordinary performances.
The Montréal match became another example.
He entered the night one result away from matching an unwanted career record.
He finished it with four goals, one assist, a historic Inter Miami victory and several new MLS milestones.
For now, the message could not be clearer. Lionel Messi was one game away from matching the longest club winless streak of his career, and his response was a four-goal masterclass that helped Inter Miami win 7-1 and completely rewrite the story.
