Lionel Messi Scores Four Goals as Inter Miami Crushes CF Montréal 7-1

Messi Sparks Seven-Goal Outpouring in Miami

The home side established control early in the contest. Midfielder Casemiro opened the scoring in the 20th minute, rising above the defense to head home his first goal in an Inter Miami uniform. CF Montréal responded 15 minutes later when Fabián Herbers unleashed a strike from outside the penalty area that beat goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair to level the score.

That parity proved short-lived. Five minutes before halftime, Montréal defender Luca Petrasso inadvertently deflected a Messi free-kick past his own goalkeeper, handing the visitors a 2-1 lead heading into the break. The second frame quickly devolved into a difficult night for the visiting side.

A Nightmare Second Half for Montréal

Messi opened his second-half account by weaving through a cluster of defenders inside the penalty area to score a brilliant individual goal. The Argentine superstar later assisted on Luis Suárez’s goal in the 80th minute before netting his third of the night just three minutes later. In the dying moments of the match, Messi completed a hat-trick and sealed the 7-1 scoreline, capping off a dominant evening for the hosts.

The lopsided result leaves Montréal anchored in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points. Philippe Eullaffroy’s squad struggled to contain Miami’s attacking waves, particularly during a first half where the visitors found themselves largely dominated on the pitch under Kily Gonzalez’s tactical setup.

Standings Impact and Upcoming Fixtures

While Inter Miami reclaims offensive momentum, CF Montréal must quickly pivot away from the heavy defeat. The club from Quebec returns to action on Tuesday, when they face the Vancouver Whitecaps for the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinals.