Inter Miami beat the New England Revolution 6-2 on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lionel Messi scored an amazing hat trick in just 11 minutes, which helped them break the Major League Soccer record for most points in a single season.
Miami finished the MLS regular season with 74 points after 34 games and a record of 22-4-8 (W-L-D), just one point more than the Revolution’s 73-point record from 2021.
Luis Suárez scored twice in less than four minutes to help Inter Miami come back from being down two goals after 34 minutes and keep the points record chase alive.
But leader Messi did a great job of making Inter Miami’s name in league history. The first goal for Miami came in the 58th minute, set up by Benjamin Cremaschi. He scored the goal just one minute after coming on.
After that, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner took the spotlight and scored his first hat trick for Miami in the 78th minute. With 33 goals, he became the club’s all-time top scorer.
Also, Miami was the first team in MLS history to have more than one player score 20 goals or more in a season.
Christ Benteke of D.C. United has 23 goals, so Messi and Suárez, who each have 20 goals, will come in second place in the Golden Boot race. Messi, on the other hand, has helped set up 36 goals and scored one himself in just 19 games, which is the most in the league.
David Beckham, a co-owner of Inter Miami, said, “Our captain has led us and the players have led us when things were tough.” “But tonight we’re having a party. We’ll get ready for Friday and the playoffs tomorrow.
“This was always about making history for Miami, as my partner and friend Jorge Mas put it. This has always been about family, la familia, and the people who work here. It’s all about you guys tonight because you helped us through the bad times and will help us through the good times.
After hurting an ankle ligament in the final of the Copa América on July 14, Messi didn’t play again until last month. He scored three goals in Argentina’s win over Bolivia on Tuesday, and now he has hat tricks in back-to-back games.
He got hurt badly in the Copa América, so we had to be very careful with his rehab and his introduction to the team, said Gerardo “Tata” Martino, head coach of Miami. “It looks like both the Argentine team and us here were very careful with that issue, and in the end, we helped each other.”
“The game against Columbus was very important, especially the second half. Leo played a big role in what happened that day.” We obviously also learned something from his last game against Bolivia, where he seemed a lot less tense and more in sync. And of course, today, I think the first ball he touches is the one that he gives to Jordi Alba for Miami’s third goal, so we feel like we’re in a great spot.
Miami was having a good time that night. After the game, the team won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield, which was given to the team with the best regular-season record in MLS for the first time earlier this month. The trophy was Miami’s first MLS title since they joined the league as an expansion team in 2020.
Inter Miami won the first MLS vs. Liga MX Leagues Cup soon after Messi joined the team in the summer of 2023.
FC Barcelona beat Real Madrid on Saturday, and after the game, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that Miami would be hosting the opening game of the expanded 32-team 2025 Club World Cup.
Right away, Inter Miami will have home field edge during the MLS playoffs. The team’s first playoff game is on Friday against the winner of Tuesday’s Eastern Conference wild-card match between CF Montreal and Atlanta United.
“Let’s get ready for the playoffs,” Beckham said.