"Is He Really 39?"... Messi Explodes for First 4-Goal Game in MLS

Football superstar Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), nearing the age of 40, exploded for four goals in a single match for the first time in Major League Soccer (MLS).

Born in 1987, Messi led his team to a 7-1 landslide victory by scoring four goals in an MLS regular-season home match against CF Montreal held in Miami, Florida, today (August 30).

Starting with a goal in the 40th minute of the first half that broke a 1-1 tie, Messi continued his scoring parade in the 7th, 38th, and stoppage time of the second half.

This marks Messi's first four-goal game since February 2020 against Eibar in Spain's La Liga while playing for FC Barcelona—about six and a half years ago—and the 8th of his career, as well as his first since joining MLS in 2023.

The MLS official website reported that Messi is the 19th player in league history to score four goals in a single match and achieved his 20th multi-goal game in just 72 matches, the fastest in MLS history.

With 18 goals in 19 MLS matches this season, Messi surpassed Petar Musa (FC Dallas, 16 goals) to take the lead in the league scoring race.

Messi scored his first goal in the 40th minute of the first half and his fourth goal in stoppage time with left-footed mid-range free kicks.

Propelled by Messi, who also recorded an assist on Luis Suarez's goal in the 35th minute of the second half that made it 4-1, Inter Miami secured a resounding victory alongside a new club record for most goals in a single match.

Breaking a four-game winless streak in the league and a five-game winless streak across all official competitions, Inter Miami accumulated 42 points to rank second in the MLS Eastern Conference.

In today's match, veteran Brazilian national team midfielder Casemiro, who joined Miami last month after leaving Manchester United, scored his debut MLS goal with the opening score in the 20th minute of the first half.

Following the match, Casemiro said in an interview with Apple TV, "This is what having Messi on the team is all about. Messi is a player who makes history, so we must enjoy these moments," adding, "With Messi, we become stronger."

Inter Miami interim head coach Guillermo Hoyos, an Argentine who coached Messi in Barcelona's youth system, also praised him, saying, "The most surprising thing about Messi is his continuous growth."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.