Lionel Messi celebrated a new career milestone after his father’s death as he leads Inter Miami to a record-breaking victory.
According to ESPN, Messi scored four goals to lift Inter Miami to a 7-1 victory, the most goals Miami has scored in a game, over visiting CF Montréal on Saturday, August 29, snapping 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.
Deep into stoppage time, Messi lined up a free kick and dispatched it with trademark precision into the side of the net.
"That's what it means to have Messi on the team," Miami midfielder Casemiro told Apple TV. "We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history.
"We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best. He proved it in the World Cup. We have to enjoy it because, with him, we are so much stronger."
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.
The 39-year-old is also the fastest player in MLS history to reach 20 multigoal games in the regular season, having done so in 72 appearances.
Messi leads MLS in scoring this season, with 18 goals in just 19 games, to put him two ahead of FC Dallas' Petar Musa.
