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 beating the New England Revolution 6-2 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Florida.

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

Luis Suárez brought Inter Miami back from two goals down after 34 minutes, scoring twice in less than four minutes to keep their points record hopes alive.

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

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner came off the bench in the 55th minute and immediately made an impact on the pitch with his first MLS hat-trick.

Messi and Suárez end the regular season with 20 goals each and are expected to finish second in the Golden Boot race, behind DC United’s Christian Benteke. However, Messi leads the league in total goal contributions with a total of 36 goals and assists in just 19 games.

Miami entered Saturday’s match having already won the 2024 Supporters’ Shield for the first time in franchise history. The trophy was Miami’s first MLS silverware since its debut as an expansion club in 2020.

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

Inter Miami will now have home field advantage for the entirety of the 2024 MLS playoffs. The team kicks off 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 an integral role in the team’s meteoric rise in 2024, scoring 40 of the team’s 79 goals during the regular season campaign. The South American duo’s contributions earned them both nominations for the 2024 MLS MVP award.