Lionel Messi Drops Freekick Masterclass as Inter Miami Rout Montreal 7-1; Shaw, Suarez Shine, Casemiro Scores on Debut

New Delhi, August 30: At 39, Lionel Messi has little left to accomplish in football. The Argentine has collected virtually every major honour available to him and firmly established his place among the sport's all-time greats. Yet the hunger remains!

Messi once again underlined that competitive edge on Saturday, producing a spectacular four-goal performance as Inter Miami demolished CF Montreal 7-1 and bounced back emphatically.

The rout began with a contribution from one of Miami's newest arrivals. Casemiro, who joined the club during the summer, opened his account for the team by rising above the defence to head in from a corner and give Miami an early advantage.

Montreal managed to respond in the 37th minute, but the visitors soon found themselves at the mercy of Messi.

Lionel Messi Goes On 'Rampage Mode'

The Argentine restored Miami's lead when a free-kick took a deflection before finding the net. He then delivered one of the evening's standout moments shortly after half-time.
Receiving the ball with defenders closing in, Messi weaved his way through multiple challenges before calmly finishing with his left foot to make it 3-1.

His influence extended beyond his own goals. In the 80th minute, Messi produced a trademark piece of creativity to set up longtime friend and teammate Luis Suarez, who converted to add another goal to Miami's tally.

Three minutes later, Messi completed his hat-trick in typically composed fashion, lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper.

The contest was already firmly in Miami's control at 5-1, but the goals kept coming. Eighteen-year-old Alexander Shaw added his name to the scoresheet with a spectacular long-range effort.

Messi, however, had the final say.

With the clock running down, the veteran produced another superb free-kick to complete his four-goal haul and cap a sensational night for Inter Miami.

The 7-1 triumph came during a period of transition for the club. Miami had recently announced that Guillermo Hoyos would be replaced by Kily Gonzalez as head coach. Interestingly, it was the best result achieved by the club to date.

Gonzalez was not yet in the dugout for this fixture but is set to take charge shortly. For Messi and Inter Miami, though, the evening was about far more than a managerial change.

At 39, Messi continues to produce moments that defy expectations, and on this occasion, his brilliance helped create a piece of Inter Miami history.