CF Montreal 1–4 Inter Miami: Lionel Messi Matches Thierry Henry Record in Dominant Win | OneFootball

Lionel Messi was once again the best player on the pitch as Inter Miami CF secured a dominant 4–1 win over CF Montréal in their first MLS match since returning from the FIFA Club World Cup.

While the game started with a bit of a defensive mishap, the Herons quickly rebounded and got the best form out of Messi and Luis Suárez to secure an unrelenting victory against a struggling, 14th-placed CF Montréal side.

The win pushed Miami up the Eastern Conference standings and to 32 points on the season through 17 games, as they continue their build towards a hopeful run in the MLS Cup Playoffs this fall.

With the win secured, Miami can now look ahead to Wednesday’s visit to the New England Revolution, before returning home next weekend to face Nashville SC and MLS Golden Boot leader Sam Surridge.

Before we look too far ahead, though, here are Sports Illustrated’s takeaways from Saturday’s 4–1 Inter Miami win over Montréal.

Messi's Resilience and World Class Performance

Lionel Messi scored two outstanding goals for Inter Miami on Saturday night. / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Messi doesn’t make many mistakes, but Saturday’s clash with Montréal saw him produce one of his biggest blunders since joining MLS in 2023,  passing the ball into the run of Montréal attacker Prince Owusu to score in the second minute.

But maybe that’s what Messi needed to give himself a wake-up call. After that, he showcased the electric dribbling skills fans across the world have come to know over the last 20 years.

He went on to score twice on two stellar runs and provided an assist to Tadeo Allende for the tying goal.

It was classic Messi, the type that dominated highlight reels across the world for over a decade with FC Barcelona and PSG, and has since come in only flashes in his time stateside with Inter Miami.

On the first goal, Messi’s deft movements after an exchange with Suárez allowed him to find an angle to finish, in what was already a Goal of the Week contender. Yet, his second something was something of legend, picking up the ball in midfield, keeping it close to his foot and dribbling through nearly the entire team before scoring.

By the end of the night, Messi had bounced back to his best form and finished with 68 touches, five successful dribbles, and five chances created, all complementing his overall influence and ability to take over the game.

The two goals were also his third straight game with a brace, making him the first player to hit such a mark since Thierry Henry with the New York Red Bulls in 2012.

As Messi reaches the waning years of his career, it’s clear that he has lost a step in speed. Yet, the sharpness and dribbling skill sets that have always made him a magician on the ball remain, even if they showcase themselves more irregularly.

Bringing Club World Cup Form to MLS

Tadeo Allende was among the players who carried their form from the FIFA Club World Cup back into MLS. / Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

While the Messi show stole the day in Montréal, the overall performance from Inter Miami was a good sign that they have been able to keep themselves fresh and ready after the run to the FIFA Club World Cup Round of 16.

At the same time, it also showed that they are able to bring some of the elevated form from the pressure and quality of those games back into MLS, much like Seattle Sounders FC did last week in a win over Austin FC.

Outside of Messi, the match saw bright moments from Suárez, who picked up two assists alongside his longtime attacking partner, as well as Allende, whose goal marked his 10th in all competitions for the club.

The performance also showed a managerial development from Javier Mascherano, who made all five subs, something he had rarely done in his early time with the team. With that, Miami’s depth could shine, and see out the game, even as the veterans kept up their unrelenting pressure into the final moments.

For a team that was criticized for depth against the world’s elite sides, it is clear that Miami have gotten the equation closer to right than wrong when it comes to the MLS level, especially in their attack.

The Defence Still Needs Work

Inter Miami’s attack is no problem; they will score goals. However, against better teams, the defensive setup remained a concern and did not offer much when called upon, as seen against 14th-placed CF Montréal.

While Benjamin Cremaschi in midfield offers less cover than when Federico Redondo is in the position, the center-back pairing of Maxi Falcón and Tomás Avilés did not elevate their game, struggling throughout the entire match.

Falcón, who showcased his physical qualities during the Club World Cup, seemingly played down to the level of his opponent, losing five duels and being dribbled past twice. At the same time, Avilés appeared shaky and unconfident in possession.

Overall, though, having a slight off game against one of the lowest-ranked teams in MLS turned out okay, but it gives more credence to the hopes that Inter Miami will improve the backline in the summer transfer window, if there are to be serious hopes of winning MLS Cup.