Inter Miami made Major League Soccer history after its 6–2 home victory over New England Revolution on the final day of the regular season thanks to a hat trick from Lionel Messi.
Gerardo 'Tata' Martino's team set a new record for most points in a single MLS season with 74 points, surpassing New England's 73 points set in the 2021 season. However, the Herons got off to a sluggish start at Chase Stadium against the Revolution.
Miami found itself down 2–0 in the first half after goals from Revolution duo Luca Langoni and Dylan Borrero. However, Miami rebounded with a quick brace from Luis Suárez just before the halftime interval. El Pistolero leveled the game with goals in the 40th and 43rd minute before Messi came on and helped secure the three points.
The young Benjamin Cremaschi put Miami in front just before the hour mark before Messi grabbed his 18th and 19th league goals of the 2024 campaign. The 37-year-old superstar scored twice in a three-minute span with one long-range stunner and another close-range finish before finishing off his hat trick with a brilliant run to the center of the New England penalty area.
Gol del mejor futbolista de la historia ✨ pic.twitter.com/U5T0upXLTK
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) October 19, 2024
It was Messi's second straight hat trick after he managed three goals last time out on international duty with Argentina vs. Bolivia. Messi looks to have wrapped up the Landon Donovan MVP award with a staggering 20 goals and 16 assists in just 19 appearances, while Suárez is still another strong candidate for the individual award with 20 goals and nine assists in 27 appearances.
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Miami managed to break the single-season points record without Messi in the side for a huge chunk of the season during the summer. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner departed for the 2024 Copa América tournament in early June and picked up an ankle injury in the final on July 14. Messi didn't return to action for the Herons until mid-September, but the south Florida side managed to stay on track without him to make history.
In 34 regular season matches, Miami secured the 2024 Supporters' Shield title and set a new points record with 22 wins, eight draws and four defeats and an impressive plus-30 goal difference.
The Herons will now shift their focus to its first round, best-of-three MLS Cup playoff series against the winner of the wild card matchup between Atlanta United and CF Montréal.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Inter Miami Sets MLS Single-Season Points Record As Lionel Messi Bags Hat Trick.
