Lionel Messi delivered another vintage performance, scoring twice as Inter Miami thumped CF Montréal 4-1 on Saturday night in their first MLS match in over a month. With the win, Miami (9-3-5, 32 points) extended its MLS winning streak to three games and reasserted itself as one of the league’s top contenders after a humbling 4-0 exit to Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup quarterfinals last week.
Despite the long layoff from domestic competition, Javier Mascherano’s side showed no signs of rust in a dominant display after a rocky start. CF Montréal (3-13-5, 14 points), coming off two wins in its previous three, grabbed a shocking early lead in the second minute through Prince Owusu. The Montreal forward capitalized on a Lionel Messi miscue, collecting a loose ball just outside the box and slotting it between the legs of Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.
However, that early momentum was short-lived.
Montreal keeper Jonathan Sirois did his best to keep the hosts in the match during the first half with a series of impressive stops — denying a corner kick chance in the 13th minute, getting a fingertip on a Jordi Alba effort that struck the post in the 15th, and sliding out to shut down Tadeo Allende in the 20th. He later broke up a promising Telasco Segovia chance in the 27th minute with a bold run to the top of the box.
Miami finally broke through in the 33rd minute. Messi, making up for his early mistake, played a precise pass to Allende at the edge of the box. The Argentine winger took a couple of steps before rifling a low shot into the net to even the score at 1-1.
Just seven minutes later, Messi produced his first moment of brilliance. Cutting inside from the right, he curled a low shot beyond Sirois and into the far corner to give Inter Miami a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The visitors continued to dominate after the break. In the 60th minute, Segovia pushed the score to 3-1 with a thunderous strike from outside the box that clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
Then came Messi’s pièce de résistance in the 62nd minute — a stunning solo goal that left Montreal’s defenders in disarray. Starting near midfield, Messi slalomed past multiple players with his trademark close control before lashing a shot into the top of the net for his second of the game and 12th goal in 14 MLS appearances this season.
It was a statement win for Miami, which appears to have put its Club World Cup disappointment firmly behind it.
Next up, Inter Miami will return home for a key clash in the Eastern Conference playoff race, while CF Montréal continues to search for consistency in what has been a difficult season.
Messi now has 12 goals in 14 MLS games in 2025. Inter Miami has scored 10 goals during its current three-game MLS win streak. CF Montréal has allowed 11 goals in its last four games.
Inter Miami hosts D.C. United on July 13. CF Montréal travels to face Toronto FC on July 13.
