Lionel Messi continued his remarkable form by netting his second hat-trick of the week, helping Inter Miami to a stunning 6-2 victory over New England Revolution, Soccernet.football reports.
Messi, who came off the bench in the 58th minute, scored three goals in just 11 minutes, igniting a late flurry that saw Miami break the Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season points record with 74 points.
This feat surpasses the previous record of 73, set by New England in 2021.
The match saw Inter Miami trail 2-0 after goals from Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero had New England fans on their feet.
However, Luis Suarez spearheaded the comeback, scoring twice before halftime. His first goal came after neat play from David Martinez, and he followed it up with a solo effort to level the game at 2-2.
Messi, who recently scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Bolivia, entered the match in the 58th minute.
His immediate impact led to Benjamin Cremaschi’s goal, assisted by former Barcelona teammate Jordi Alba. Shortly after, Messi took centre stage, scoring three times.
His first came from a slick backheel pass from Suarez, followed by a second after a brilliant assist from Alba, and finally, he completed his hat-trick by slotting home Suarez’s volleyed cross.
“We have him in an ideal situation to face the most important part of the year,” Miami coach Gerardo Martino said, praising Messi’s return from injury.
With this win, Miami’s confidence is soaring as they head into the MLS Cup playoffs next week, where they are firm favourites.