Lionel Messi Scores Four as Inter Miami Produces Record 7-1 Win Over Montréal

The victory ended a five-match winless run for Inter Miami and produced the largest margin of victory in the club's history, according to the team's official match report.

Messi's performance also produced a significant MLS milestone. It was his first four-goal game in Major League Soccer, and the result moved his regular-season total to 18 goals.

Inter Miami opened the scoring through Casemiro in the 20th minute, but Montréal responded through Fabian Herbers to make the score 1-1.

Messi restored Miami's lead shortly before halftime, scoring from a free kick in the 40th minute.

The Argentine forward then doubled the advantage early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, he created space for himself inside the penalty area and finished after beating several defenders.

Luis Suárez added Miami's fourth goal in the 80th minute, with Messi providing the assist. The goal also gave Suárez 11 regular-season goals and Messi his 10th assist.

The final stages belonged almost entirely to Messi.

He scored again in the 83rd minute before academy product Alexander Shaw scored his first goal for Inter Miami in the 89th minute.

Messi then completed his four-goal performance during stoppage time, producing the final 7-1 scoreline.

The performance was particularly important because Miami had entered the match without a victory in its previous five games.

The club's response was emphatic, with seven goals against a Montréal side that could not contain Miami's attack once the home team established control.

Messi's four-goal performance also changed the MLS scoring race.

The four goals moved him to 18 in the regular season and put him at the top of the league's Golden Boot standings at that point.

The achievement adds another milestone to a career that has already included numerous scoring records in Europe, international football and Major League Soccer.

What made Saturday's performance different was the combination of scoring and playmaking.

Messi contributed four goals while also creating a goal for Suárez, meaning he was directly involved in five of Miami's seven goals.

That influence helped turn a competitive match into a one-sided result.

The result also matters for Inter Miami's position in the MLS season.

The club improved to 12 wins, four losses and six draws, giving it 42 points.

The win came at an important point in the regular season as teams position themselves for the postseason.

A five-match winless stretch had created pressure for Miami to regain momentum.

Saturday's result provided the strongest possible response.

The club also received contributions from players beyond Messi and Suárez.

Casemiro scored his first goal for Inter Miami, while Shaw, an academy product, recorded his first goal for the first team and his first MLS goal.

Those contributions provide additional significance because the result was not solely dependent on one player.

Nevertheless, Messi remained the defining figure.

The performance also reinforced the importance of Messi to Miami's growing soccer profile.

Since joining Inter Miami, Messi has become the centerpiece of a club that has attracted enormous international attention.

Saturday's performance offered another example of why his presence has transformed the visibility of Major League Soccer in South Florida.

The match also demonstrated the entertainment value of a player capable of changing a game almost single-handedly.

Four goals from one player in a professional match are unusual under any circumstances.

Doing so while adding an assist and helping produce a club-record margin made the performance particularly notable.

For Miami supporters, the victory provided a dramatic turnaround after several difficult results.

For MLS, it provided another headline performance from its most recognizable player.

And for Inter Miami, it restored momentum while improving its position in the regular-season standings.

The next challenge will be maintaining that form.

A seven-goal performance can immediately change the atmosphere around a team, but the regular season continues to demand consistency.

For now, however, the story belongs to Messi.

His four goals, one assist and role in a record 7-1 victory gave Inter Miami one of the most memorable nights in its history and ended a difficult stretch with a result that immediately changed the team's momentum.