On a pressure-filled trip to Nashville in the heart of the playoff race, Messi delivered a vintage hat-trick and an assist to drag Inter Miami to a statement 5–2 win. Beyond the numbers, it was the way he took control of the match—dictating tempo, finishing moves and killing Nashville’s momentum—that underlined his ability to decide MLS games almost single-handedly this late in his career.
Breaking Algeria’s resistance in his 200th Argentina cap, Messi ghosts between two defenders at the near post and calmly steers De Paul’s low cut-back into the corner to open the scoring and seal his 120th international goal and seventh at World Cups.
Against Las Palmas with the deadlock unbroken, Messi whips a left‑footed free kick over the wall and beyond the keeper from a prime range, his precise bend and pace giving Barcelona a 1–0 lead and bringing up career goal number 599.
Against Granada’s set wall, Messi whips a left‑footed free kick over the line and inside the near top corner to stretch Barça’s lead to 3–0, adding career goal 719 and his 455th in La Liga.
From a tight central pocket at 2–0, Messi calmly shapes his run between Algeria’s centre-backs and, with minimal backlift and almost statuesque balance, guides Argentina’s third to crown a World Cup hat-trick and his 120th international goal on his 200th cap.