In just 34 minutes, Messi rips through New England with a ruthless hat-trick, turning a routine late-season MLS outing into a short, explosive scoring clinic that extends his hot streak.
From a tight central pocket with defenders closing, Messi delicately lifts Dani Alves’ return pass over the advancing Granada keeper to restore Barça’s lead, a composed lob that forms the heart of his hat-trick and pushes him to 255 career goals.
Retaking the lead against Málaga, Messi meets Adriano’s looping cross with a difficult left‑footed first‑time volley, catching it cleanly through a crowded box for the match‑winning strike and his 297th La Liga goal.
Iniesta’s lofted pass drops perfectly for Messi, who meets it first time with a left‑footed volley that skims low past Villarreal’s keeper, a technically demanding strike that becomes La Liga goal number 383 and his 613th career goal.
From Jordi Alba’s cut-back, Messi delicately lifts a left-footed lob over the Girona keeper from close range, a composed chip that doubles Barcelona’s lead and registers his 402nd La Liga goal and 643rd of his career.