Lionel Messi dazzles with solo stunner for Inter Miami

Lionel Messi needed only one touch to remind Major League Soccer why every ticket in town now carries a premium. The Argentine maestro picked up the ball a stride inside the CF Montreal half, glided past four flailing challenges and rolled a composed finish into the far corner to push Inter Miami into a 4-1 lead and, ultimately, another three points on a fast-growing résumé.

Lionel Messi magic breaks the deadlock

Few players can change a match’s rhythm in a single sequence, but Lionel Messi did precisely that in the 61st minute at Saputo Stadium. Until then, Montreal were chasing an equaliser after Luis Suárez’s first-half brace and a Benjamin Cremaschi strike had given Miami a 3-1 cushion. Messi’s intervention slammed the door on any comeback talk. Starting near the centre circle, he accelerated through midfield traffic, used a trademark shoulder feint to wrong-foot Joel Waterman, skipped inside another defender and, with only Jonathan Sirois left, passed the ball into the net as if it were the easiest task on earth. The stadium fell silent for a heartbeat before erupting—half in awe, half in resignation.

How the breathtaking solo goal unfolded

1. Receiving under pressure: Sergio Busquets clipped a forward pass that Messi cushioned on his left instep, already scanning for space.
2. First acceleration: A burst carried him between Mathieu Choinière and Samuel Piette, who collided trying to cut him off.
3. The body swerve: Waterman bit on a classic inside-out drop of the shoulder, granting Messi the corridor he wanted.
4. Final touch: At the edge of the box, he opened his body and slid the ball beyond Sirois’s out-stretched right boot.

Messi’s 12th league goal of the campaign instantly joined his growing MLS highlight reel and was replayed on the jumbotron until the final whistle.

What the numbers say

• 12 goals and 7 assists in 14 MLS appearances—directly involved in a league-best 1.36 goals per 90 minutes.
• Inter Miami have scored 38 goals with Messi on the pitch and just 6 without him this season.
• The Messi-Suárez connection has produced 8 combined goals in the last five matches.

Beyond raw figures, Lionel Messi’s presence warps defensive structures: Montreal dropped their back line six metres deeper on average after his strike, per Second Spectrum tracking.

Reaction from teammates and rivals

Suárez, who notched three assists on the night, simply grinned post-match: “I’ve watched Lionel Messi pull off magic for almost two decades, but he still makes my jaw drop.” Montreal captain Piette admitted, “You can game-plan for him all week, then he does something other-worldly in four seconds.” Head coach Tata Martino praised the Argentine’s “undiminished hunger,” noting that Messi had spent extra sessions perfecting those diagonal runs in the build-up.

What it means for Inter Miami’s season

The Herons now sit atop the Eastern Conference with 34 points from 16 games, five clear of FC Cincinnati. Crucially, Messi’s latest masterpiece underscores a broader trend: Miami are transitioning from star-powered spectacle to tactically cohesive juggernaut. Midfield balance, provided by Busquets and Diego Gómez, allows Lionel Messi to drift into half-spaces, while full-backs Jordi Alba and DeAndre Yedlin stretch the field. Martino’s 4-3-1-2 morphs into a 3-2-5 in possession, giving Messi constant passing lanes or dribbling channels like the one he exploited in Montreal.

Lionel Messi spotlight: adaptation and fitness

Skeptics wondered if the 36-year-old could handle MLS travel and synthetic pitches. The numbers answer loudly: Messi tops the league in successful dribbles (47) and has completed 90 minutes in nine straight fixtures. Performance staff credit a customised recovery plan and the star’s own diligence. “He’s the first in the ice bath, last out of video,” fitness coach José Cotelo revealed.

Upcoming fixtures

Inter Miami embark on a challenging three-game swing:

• New England Revolution – 9 July: A hostile Gillette Stadium crowd and artificial turf await.
• Nashville SC – 12 July: Return to Chase Stadium where Messi scored a free-kick winner in March.
• FC Cincinnati – 16 July: Potential Supporters’ Shield six-pointer at TQL Stadium.

Should Lionel Messi maintain current form, Miami could secure a playoff berth well before autumn, leaving room to rotate ahead of the Leagues Cup defence.

Broadcast and commercial impact

Apple’s MLS Season Pass recorded its highest single-game streaming numbers of 2024 during the Montreal clash, per internal sources. Merchandise sales spiked 40 percent overnight, driven by a new pink third kit unveiled minutes after Messi’s goal made social media rounds. Sponsorship executives privately admit that Lionel Messi’s solo run “generated a year’s worth of marketing content in 12 seconds.”

Historical context

Comparisons inevitably arose with Messi’s legendary goals for Barcelona against Getafe (2007) and Athletic Club (2015). While the stakes differed, the sequence in Montreal echoed those classics: receiving deep, tight ball control amid chaos, a burst of acceleration, and an unerring finish. The goal also ties him with Thierry Henry for the most consecutive matches scored in different top-flight leagues (La Liga, Ligue 1, MLS).

The tactical angle: why defences struggle

Analysts point to three factors:

1. Positioning: Messi no longer hugs the right touchline; instead, he roams centrally, making it harder to assign a fixed marker.
2. Tempo shifts: He alternates walking with sudden sprints, lulling defences before a rapid change of speed.
3. Support runners: Suárez and Robert Taylor occupy centre-backs, freeing Messi to attack midfield lines rather than crowded penalty areas.

Social media buzz

Within an hour, the clip accrued 25 million views across X, Instagram and TikTok. David Beckham captioned it, “Even when you know it’s coming, you can’t stop it.” NBA star Jimmy Butler reposted with, “This dude is unreal.” The MLS account labeled it simply, “GOAT doing GOAT things.”

MLS Cup odds shift

Sportsbooks slashed Inter Miami’s title odds from 7-2 to 2-1 overnight. Analysts cite not just Lionel Messi’s scoring spree but also the squad’s depth: Julian Gressel and Leo Campana have chipped in from the bench, while teenage prospect Federico Redondo is set to debut next month.

Short opinion

Messi’s Montreal masterpiece felt less like a sports highlight and more like a living art piece. It reaffirmed that even in a league built on parity, one transcendent talent can still bend reality—and the standings—to his will.