MLS: Messi hits 927 career goals with four strikes against Montreal

Lionel Messi reached 927 career goals on Saturday after scoring four goals to inspire Inter Miami to a 7-1 victory over CF Montreal in Major League Soccer.

The 39-year-old Argentina forward scored twice in the first half and added two more after the break as Inter Miami ended a five-match winless run.

Messi’s first goal came in the 40th minute when his free-kick found the net to give Miami a 2-1 lead after Montreal had cancelled out Casemiro’s 20th-minute opener through Fabian Herbers.

Messi doubled his tally seven minutes into the second half after weaving through a cluster of Montreal defenders before firing into the bottom corner.

The forward then assisted former Barcelona team-mate Luis Suarez for Miami’s fourth goal before completing his hat-trick in the 83rd minute with a delicate chip over goalkeeper Thomas Gillier.

Teenage substitute Alex Shaw added Miami’s sixth goal in the 89th minute before Messi completed his four-goal haul with another free-kick deep into stoppage time.

The victory ended Inter Miami’s five-game winless run across all competitions and moved the club to second place in the Eastern Conference.

Messi, who has played for Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami and Argentina, also moved to 18 MLS goals for the season, putting him at the top of the league’s scoring chart.