Messi’s Four-Goal Masterclass: Inter Miami Destroy Montréal 7-1 as Superstar Sets New MLS Milestones
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA: Lionel Messi produced one of the most extraordinary individual nights of the 2026 Major League Soccer season, scoring four goals and supplying an assist as Inter Miami CF crushed CF Montréal 7-1 at Nu Stadium on August 29. The performance ended Miami’s five-game winless run across all competitions and moved Messi to a league-leading 18 goals.
Four goals, one historic night
The Inter Miami vs CF Montreal match changed quickly after Casemiro opened the scoring in the 20th minute and Montréal equalised through Fabian Herbers 17 minutes later. Messi restored Miami’s lead with a 40th-minute free kick before adding a solo goal in the 52nd.
He completed his hat-trick in the 83rd minute after Luis Suárez scored from a Messi assist in the 80th. Messi then struck again with another free kick deep into stoppage time, sealing the 7-1 scoreline.
Inter Miami’s official match report confirmed the four-goal performance, while MLS recorded Messi at 18 goals and 10 assists.
A record-breaking Miami victory
The 7-1 result was not simply another entry in the MLS results for 2026 for fans around the world. It was the biggest winning margin in Inter Miami history and the first time the club had scored seven goals in a league match, according to the club and MLS.
Messi’s four-goal haul was also his first four-goal game in MLS. MLS said he became the 19th player in league history to score four in a match and the fastest player to reach 20 regular-season multi-goal games, doing so in 72 appearances.
The Lionel Messi 4-goal performance pushed him past FC Dallas forward Petar Musa in the Golden Boot race, giving Messi a two-goal lead at 18.
The free-kick record needs context
Two of Messi’s four goals came directly from free kicks. That has reignited discussion around the Messi free-kick record, but historical totals are not universally standardised because different statistical lists count matches and competitions differently.
The Indian Express credited Messi with 74 direct free-kick goals after the Montreal match, placing him joint second with Roberto Dinamite behind Marcelinho. Other databases use different totals, so the safest description is that the Messi free-kick record depends on the source and methodology.
What the result means
For Miami, the Inter Miami vs CF Montreal rout delivered urgently needed momentum. The team improved to 12-4-6 and 42 points, while Montréal fell to 5-11-6.
The Lionel Messi 4-goal display strengthened his case for another league MVP award. MLS noted that Miami still trailed Nashville SC by 10 points in the Supporters’ Shield race, but Messi’s form had put him at the centre of the MVP conversation.
Among the weekend’s MLS results in 2026, few could rival the scale of Miami’s victory or the individual numbers produced by Messi.
The Inter Miami vs CF Montreal result therefore stands as a club milestone and another remarkable chapter in his MLS career, while the Messi free-kick record debate continues to follow every new set-piece goal. The Lionel Messi 4-goal night will be remembered as one of his most emphatic MLS performances.
