Lionel Messi's hat trick helps Inter Miami break MLS points record

Lionel Messi scored a stunning 11-minute hat trick to help Inter Miami break the Major League Soccer record for most points in a single season after defeating the New England Revolution on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, defeated 6-2.

Miami finishes the MLS regular season with 74 points in 34 games and a record of 22-4-8 (WLD), narrowly surpassing the Revolution's mark of 73 points from 2021.

Luis Suárez brought Inter Miami back from a two-goal deficit after 34 minutes, scoring twice in under four minutes to keep their hopes of a points record alive.

Benjamin Cremaschi then gave Miami the lead for the first time in the 58th minute. But it was captain Messi who duly cemented Inter Miami's name in league history by scoring the fourth, fifth and sixth goals of the night.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner came on as a substitute in the 55th minute and immediately caused a stir with his first MLS hat trick.

Messi and Suárez finish the regular season with 20 goals each and are likely to finish second behind DC United's Christian Benteke in the race for the Golden Boot. However, Messi is the league's leader in total goal involvements, with a total of 36 goals and assists in just 19 games.

Miami entered Saturday's game having already won the 2024 Supporters' Shield for the first time in franchise history. The trophy was Miami's first piece of MLS silverware since debuting as an expansion club in 2020.

Inter Miami won the first trophy in the MLS vs. Liga MX Leagues Cup immediately after the arrival of Lionel Messi in the summer of 2023.

Inter Miami will now have home advantage throughout the 2024 MLS playoffs. The team will begin the postseason on October 25 against the winner of the Eastern Conference wild card game between CF Montreal and Atlanta United.

Messi and Suárez played a crucial role in the team's meteoric rise in 2024, scoring 40 of the team's total 79 goals in the regular season. The South American duo's contributions earned both a nomination for the 2024 MLS MVP Award.