Lionel Messi has said goodbye to the Argentine national team, but his love affair with the ball remains as strong as ever at the club level. Just hours after the announcement that shook the world of international soccer, the Inter Miami star was named MLS Player of the Week for Week 23 of the 2026 season following a spectacular performance over the weekend.
Messi helps end Inter Miami’s cold streak
The honor comes after a true masterclass at Nu Stadium. The Rosario native tore apart CF Montréal with four goals and an assist to lead the 7-1 rout, setting, in the process, the record for most goals scored in a single regular-season game in Inter Miami history.
With this offensive masterclass, the “No. 10” not only danced around the Canadian defense but also shattered multiple league records:
- Lethal four-goal performance: It’s the first time in his career in the United States that he’s scored four goals in a single game, becoming the 19th player in MLS history to achieve this feat.
- Record-breaking speed: He became the fastest player to reach the milestone of 20 multi-goal games in the league, achieving it in just 72 matches.
- Massive Impact: Messi now accounts for a quarter of all games in MLS history in which a player has recorded at least five goal contributions (he has achieved this on three separate occasions).
Messi’s scoring spree began in the 40th minute with a deflected shot that broke the 1-1 tie. In the second half, the Argentine stepped on the gas: in the 52nd minute, he left several defenders in his wake to finish with his right foot; in the 80th minute, he delivered a perfect assist for Luis Suárez’s goal, and just three minutes later, he completed his hat trick by chipping the ball over the opposing goalkeeper. True to form, the icing on the cake came in stoppage time with a masterful free kick.
What’s next for Messi and Inter Miami?
This award marks the third time Messi has been named Player of the Week in 2026 (he previously won it in weeks 2 and 8) and is the fifteenth of his career. With this, he surpasses Jeff Cunningham’s 14 awards and moves into second place all-time in the league, trailing only the 19 awards won by American Landon Donovan.
The next opponent on the radar for Messi and Inter Miami will be Atlanta United, whom they will host this Saturday, September 5, at Nu Stadium at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time / ET), in a match that will be broadcast on Apple TV.
