With four goals and an assist from Lionel Messi, Inter Miami steamrolled Alexis Sánchez’s Montreal. Thanks to his tremendous performance, he became the MLS’s leading scorer and pulled his team out of their losing streak.
Messi reached 927 career goals. The only player ahead is Cristiano Ronaldo, with 978, but Ronaldo has played 162 more games.
The result marked a return to winning ways for the Florida team, breaking a five-game winless streak under interim manager Ángel Guillermo Hoyos, while awaiting the return of Cristian González.
The initial tactical approach featured two key changes compared to the previous match against Toronto: Noah Allen replaced Sergio Reguilón on the left wing, and Casemiro dropped back to central defense—replacing Gonzalo Luján—allowing Yannick Bright to play as a holding midfielder and optimize the team’s defensive balance.
The home side’s superiority over the Canadian team quickly translated into dangerous situations in front of the opposing goal.
After a shot by Messi that hit the post in the 8th minute, the lead came in the 19th minute after a cross from Telasco Segovia was headed in by Casemiro, who scored his first goal for the franchise.
CF Montreal capitalized on a defensive lapse on Ian Fray’s side in the 36th minute; after a pass from Noah Streit, German Fabian Herbers finished with a low shot into the corner past the outstretched arms of Dayne St. Clair and the late challenge from Rodrigo De Paul.
But, in the 39th minute, Messi curled a free kick into the box that deflected off Luca Petrasso, wrong-footing goalkeeper Thomas Gillier and restoring the lead for the pink-clad team, beginning the decisive phase of the rout.
