Lionel Messi scores 4 in 7-1 rout of CF Montréal, seizes MLS Golden Boot lead

Lionel Messi is unstoppable. The Inter Miami star once again had a night to remember on Saturday, scoring four goals as the Herons thrashed CF Montréal 7-1. With the haul, Messi hit 17 goals on the season, a number that pulls him to a lead in the MLS Golden Boot race. The Inter Miami captain tied and then passed FC Dallas forward Petar Musa for the sole spot at the top of the scoring standings. Two of Messi's goals came off free kicks, one of the veteran forward's specialties. Messi pulled Miami back into the lead in the 40th minute with a curving shot that was mishandled by the Montréal defense. Early in the second half, Messi found the back of the net again, staying upright through traffic before sending in a powerful shot. In the 83rd minute, Messi timed a chip past Montréal goalkeeper Thomas Gillier, who surged to meet the captain but didn't get there in time. And then Messi capped it all off in stoppage time with another free kick that cleared the wall and buried itself into the right side of the net. The massive night marks Messi's first time scoring a four-goal haul since heading to MLS. Previously, he'd gotten two hat tricks with Miami, scoring one against the New England Revolution in 2024 and another against Nashville SC in 2025, via FBRef . By putting up seven goals, Inter Miami also sets a franchise single-game record, and notches its first win in MLS play since July 25. With 56 total goals scored this regular season, Miami is currently outscoring the rest of the league by a significant margin, though Nashville holds a 10-point lead on the Herons for first place in the Eastern Conference standings.