Inter Miami hit the pitch again in Major League Soccer, fresh off their run in the Club World Cup. After being knocked out, the team needed a strong performance. Lionel Messi certainly delivered, playing a huge part in their 4-1 comeback win against Montreal. He scored two amazing goals and set up another.
The match started with a jolt for Inter Miami. Montreal struck first in the opening minute. Owusu found the net, surprisingly, after a pass from Messi went astray. It was a rare misstep from the usually flawless player.
Inter Miami quickly regrouped. Messi set things right just over 30 minutes in. He delivered a perfect pass to fellow countryman Allende, who buried it to tie the game.
The home side took the lead before halftime. Messi danced into the box in the 39th minute. He weaved between two defenders and fired a sharp shot across the goal. It was a classic Messi finish.
Inter Miami kept pushing in the second half. Former Casa Pia player Telasco Segovia added to the lead, scoring a fantastic goal to make it 3-1 around the hour mark. Just two minutes later, Messi scored the goal everyone will be talking about. He burst through the middle, leaving four Montreal players in his wake. His shot found the back of the net, sealing the big win.
Messi thought he had a hat-trick, too. He celebrated what would have been his third goal. However, the play was called back for offside.
This victory moves Inter Miami into sixth place in the Eastern Conference. They now have 32 points from 17 games. It’s a strong position, especially since they have four games in hand on the teams ahead of them. This is because they were busy competing in the Club World Cup. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 by PSG in that tournament.