Lionel Messi registers unique record after scoring hat-trick for Inter Miami

Lionel Messi became Inter Miami’s top scorer with a staggering 33 goals after hammering in three goals starting in the 78th minute. With Inter Miami joining the Argentine national team and FC Barcelona as Messi's preferred hunting grounds, the 37-year-old is currently the top scorer at three different teams. No person in the history of football has ever been at the top of the scoring charts for three different teams. 

At Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Inter Miami defeated the New England Revolution 6-2 on Saturday, and Lionel Messi scored his second straight hat-trick in a row for club and national team.

Messi scored three goals in just 11 minutes as Miami surpassed the record for the most points by a squad in an MLS season, fresh off a hat-trick in Argentina's victory over Bolivia in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier. Miami edged above the Revolution's 2021 total of 73 points at the end of the MLS regular campaign with 74 points as well as a 22-4-8 (W-L-D) record.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will host the first match of the 32-team competition, which will feature elite teams from across the globe, after being granted a seat in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday. The penultimate club added to the June 15–July 13 competition being contested across the United States is Miami, who took home their inaugural MLS Supporters’ Shield.

Gianni Infantino, FIFA President said through a video posted on social media, “Congratulations on your wonderful 2024 Supporters’ Shield success. You have shown that in the United States, you are consistently the best club on the field of play. Therefore, I am proud to announce that as one of the best clubs in the world, you are deserved participants in the new FIFA Club World Cup 2025 as the host club representing the United States.”