Lionel Messi took his career goal tally to 927 on Saturday after scoring four times in Inter Miami’s emphatic 7-1 victory over CF Montreal in Major League Soccer.
The 39-year-old Argentine superstar struck twice before halftime and added another two goals in the second half as Inter Miami finally snapped a five-match winless streak.
Messi opened his account in the 40th minute, curling a free-kick into the net to put Miami 2-1 ahead. Montreal had earlier equalised through Fabian Herbers after Casemiro gave Miami the lead in the 20th minute.
Seven minutes after the restart, Messi grabbed his second of the night after brilliantly navigating his way through several Montreal defenders before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.
The Argentine then turned provider, setting up former Barcelona teammate Luis Suarez for Inter Miami’s fourth goal, before sealing his hat-trick in the 83rd minute with a composed chip over goalkeeper Thomas Gillier.
Teenage substitute Alex Shaw added a sixth goal in the 89th minute, while Messi capped off his sensational performance with another free-kick deep into stoppage time to complete his four-goal haul.
The dominant win brought Inter Miami’s five-game winless run in all competitions to an end and lifted the club into second place in the Eastern Conference.
Messi, who has represented Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina during his illustrious career, also increased his MLS tally to 18 goals for the season, taking him to the top of the league’s scoring standings.
