No coach, no problem.
Lionel Messi scored four goals to lift Inter Miami to a club-record 7-1 victory over visiting CF Montréal on Saturday and snap the team’s winless run in style.
Messi scored on a deflected free kick in the 40th minute before converting again after a stunning solo run in the 52nd. After supplying an assist to Luis Suárez, the Argentina great then completed his hat trick with a delicate chip over the goalkeeper with seven minutes of regulation time remaining.
He wasn’t done.
Deep into stoppage time, Messi lined up a free kick and dispatched it with trademark precision into the top corner of the net.
It’s the eighth time in Messi’s legendary career that he has scored four or more goals in a game and the first time since joining Miami. His last four-goal match came in February 2020 for Barcelona against Eibar in Spain’s LaLiga.
Messi now leads the MLS in scoring, with 18 goals in just 19 games, to put him two ahead of FC Dallas‘ Peter Musa.
The victory was Miami’s first in MLS play since July 25 and ended a run of five games without a victory in all competitions, including the Leagues Cup.
Miami won without interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos, who was suspended for Saturday’s match. The club named Cristian ‘Kily’ Gonzalez as his permanent successor this week, but Gonzalez is still waiting for his work permits to begin his new job.
With assistant coach Rafael Pérez leading the team from the sidelines, Brazil international Casemiro opened the scoring with his first goal for Miami since his summer arrival.
Miami’s other goal came from 18-year-old Alexander Shaw in the 89th minute.
The victory keeps Miami second in the Eastern Conference standings, behind Nashville SC.
Montréal, which brought on new arrival and Messi’s former Barcelona teammate Alexis Sánchez in the second half, is 14th, second to last in the Eastern Conference.
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