Lionel Messi delivered the biggest number of the night and the one Inter Miami needed most. His four goals in a 7-1 win over Montreal took him to 18 MLS goals for the season, made him the league's top scorer and ended a stretch in which Miami had won just once in seven games across all competitions. It was also the first time Messi had scored four goals in an MLS match.

That made the result feel bigger than a routine big win. Miami were already second in the Eastern Conference, but the recent run had dragged the mood down and raised questions about the side's level after Messi returned from the World Cup earlier this month. A 7-1 result changes that mood quickly, especially when the best player on the pitch scores four and sets up another.

Messi's numbers were not just about finishing

Messi's headline total was four goals, but the performance stretched beyond that. He also assisted Luis Suarez's strike, a reminder that his season has not been built on finishing alone.

Across 8 appearances this season, Messi has 8 goals and 4 assists. One explosive night can distort a player's record early in a campaign, but those numbers show he had already been producing before Montreal. The four-goal haul simply pushed it into a different bracket.

His final goal summed up the tone of the night. Messi added a fourth in added time with another trademark free-kick, capping the sort of scoreline that can make a bad run look distant in one evening.

Guillermo Hoyos, quoted by bbc.co.uk, said: "There are no words to describe such footballing beauty,"

Hoyos had more to say on Messi's influence. Quoted by bbc.co.uk, he said: "He is constantly looking for that goal, that play, that pass; I don't think he's an ordinary footballer. Analysing him, both as a player and as a person, goes so deep that you run out of words."

Inter Miami needed this more than the scoreline alone suggests

The scale of the win matters because Miami had been stuck in a poor spell. Before facing Montreal, they had won just 1 game in 7 across all competitions. That is a real wobble by any standard, even for a side still sitting second in the East.

A single result does not wipe away every concern, and there is no need to overstate one night in late August. Still, when a team in that sort of run wins 7-1, the obvious reading is that the pressure eases and the conversation changes. Messi taking the scoring lead only adds to that.

He moved past FC Dallas' Petar Musa as the league's top scorer on 18. That is the clearest individual marker from the game, but Miami will care just as much about the broader reset. They needed a performance with force behind it, not a narrow escape.

Hoyos, again quoted by bbc.co.uk, said: "So much is going on that words simply fall short."

A first in MLS and a reminder of Miami's ceiling

Messi has produced huge scoring nights all through his career, but this was his first four-goal game in MLS. That detail gives the result its place beyond a single weekend. It was not just another Messi brace or another comfortable Miami win.

It also offered a fair snapshot of why Miami remain dangerous even when form dips. Messi's output this season stands at 8 goals and 4 assists in 8 appearances, and Montreal were the team that paid for it in full. Inter Miami beat Montreal 7-1, Messi scored four, and Miami closed August with the kind of result that can reset a season's mood.

FAQ

Why was Lionel Messi's performance against Montreal such a big result for Inter Miami?

It was not only a four-goal night from Messi. Inter Miami beat Montreal 7-1 after winning just once in seven games across all competitions. The result also took Messi to 18 MLS goals and moved him past Petar Musa as the league's top scorer.

Has Lionel Messi ever scored four goals in an MLS match before?

No. The win over Montreal was the first time Messi had scored four goals in an MLS match. It stood out even by his standards because he also assisted Luis Suarez's goal and finished the night on 18 league goals.

How has Lionel Messi started the 2026 MLS season with Inter Miami?

Messi has started fast. He has 8 goals and 4 assists in 8 appearances this season. His display against Montreal fits that broader form rather than feeling isolated, and it arrived at the right time for a team that had been wobbling.

Are Inter Miami still in the Eastern Conference race after beating Montreal?

Yes. Inter Miami are second in the Eastern Conference, so the 7-1 win mattered beyond the immediate mood boost. It stopped a poor run and kept the result relevant in the wider race as well.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →