Messi scores four goals, inspires Inter Miami to 7-1 win over Montreal

Inter Miami interim coach Guillermo Hoyos ran out of superlatives for Lionel Messi after the Argentinian playmaker scored four goals in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match for the first time in his career to inspire a 7-1 thrashing of CF Montreal.

Messi’s four-goal haul and an assist on Saturday came at a crucial time for Miami, helping them snap a five-game winless run across all competitions.

The 39-year-old restored Miami’s advantage shortly before half-time, struck again in the 52nd minute, completed his hat-trick in the 83rd and capped his dazzling display with a free kick in stoppage time.

The former Barcelona forward now tops the MLS scoring charts with 18 goals this season.

“There are no words to describe such footballing beauty,” Argentinian Hoyos said. “So much is going on that words simply fall short.

“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.”

Messi, who won the 2022 World Cup, also captained Argentina to this year’s World Cup final, where they lost to Spain.

“That’s what it means to have Messi on the team,” Miami midfielder Casemiro told Apple TV.

“We have to enjoy these moments because he is a person, a player that makes history.”

Casemiro, 34, joined Miami in July after his contract expired at Manchester United.

The Brazilian and Messi spent years on opposite sides of one of football’s fiercest rivalries, with Casemiro starring for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona, but are now teammates.

“We saw today that we have to enjoy it, keep supporting and keep competing with him because he continues to be the best,” Casemiro added.

“He proved it in the World Cup. We have to enjoy it because, with him, we are so much stronger.”