Leo Messi produced another performance worthy of his growing legacy as Inter Miami responded to a difficult run with a historic rout. The Argentine captain scored four goals and provided one assist, leading the club to the biggest win in its history.
At 39, Messi continues to defy expectations. Rather than manage his workload, he remains central to Inter Miami’s attack while adding new records to an already extraordinary career. His latest display also reignited comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, even without the two players meeting on the pitch.
Messi moves further ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo in free-kick goals
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo defined more than a decade of football, with the two competing for goals, trophies, individual awards, and records. Although their careers are now at different stages, comparisons continue to emerge through increasingly specific statistics.
Free kicks have become one of the most notable developments of Messi’s later career. The Argentine was rarely his team’s primary free-kick taker early on, but he has since established himself as one of the greatest specialists in football history.
Ronaldo remains widely regarded as one of the game’s best long-range shooters. However, when it comes to direct free-kick goals, the statistics place Messi clearly ahead of the Portuguese forward.
Messi scored two free kicks during his four-goal performance, moving within four goals of Marcelinho Carioca, the all-time leading scorer from direct free kicks. He also drew level with Jair Rosa Pinto on 74 goals.
“La Pulga” scored one free kick before halftime and another in stoppage time. Between those goals, he added two more from open play to complete the first four-goal game of his MLS career.
The performance also gave Messi his 62nd professional hat-trick and his 51st at club level. He has now scored 18 goals in the MLS regular season, moving to the top of the league’s scoring chart, and has registered 10 assists in the competition.
Messi and Inter Miami face Atlanta United next
Inter Miami’s next match is against Atlanta United on Saturday, September 5, at home. The club’s official schedule lists the game as its next MLS fixture after the meeting with Montréal.
Messi will enter the match in outstanding form after scoring four times in his previous appearance. The focus will not only be on whether he can score again, but also on whether he can continue extending a statistical lead that once seemed almost impossible to build.
As long as his legs continue to respond, Messi’s record collection appears far from complete. After a night featuring four goals and two direct free kicks, the question ahead of the Atlanta match is unavoidable: How much further can that lead grow?
Source: www.marca.com
