Messi hat-trick and Inter World Cup 2025: Inter Miami defeats New England 6-2 to set the MLS regular season points record and guarantee a spot at the Club World Cup, with Messi scoring three goals and Suarez two.
Messi hat-trick and inter World Cup 2025
Burning Inter Miami defeated the New England Revolution 6-2 to shatter Major League Soccer’s regular season points record and guarantee their spot in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Lionel Messi scored his second hat-trick of the week, and Luis Suarez scored twice.
With their victory in the last regular season game, Miami surpassed the previous record of 74 points, which was set by New England in 2021.
Messi, who spearheaded the late burst of goals after coming off the bench in the 58th minute, has now scored 20 goals in 19 MLS games, while Suarez, a former Barcelona colleague, has also scored 20 goals in 27 games.
Since Inter had already won the Supporters’ Shield for the best regular season record, solidifying their position as the overwhelming favorites in the MLS Cup playoffs, which begin next week, the task of surpassing the record provided some spice to the season’s last game.
Suarez scored twice before halftime to help Gerardo Martino’s squad even the score at halftime after Miami had fallen behind 2-0.
The home crowd was yelling for Messi to be brought on as a substitute after goals from Colombian Dylan Borrero and Argentinean Luca Langoni in the 34th minute, but Uruguayan Suarez started the comeback with a solid left-foot finish.
Messi hat-trick and inter World Cup 2025
Messi hat-trick and inter World Cup 2025: Suarez then made room for himself, changed to his right foot, and hammered home with a beautiful solo finish.
After coming off the bench in the 58th minute, Messi—who had scored a hat-trick for Argentina against Bolivia on Tuesday—helped the side take the lead right away by setting up Benjamin Cremaschi for a tap-in after Jordi Alba.
After a VAR review, New England believed they had tied the score with a goal by Bobby Wood, but the attempt was disallowed for handball.
The score was then 4-2, with Messi expertly smashing into the far bottom corner after catching a back-heeled pass from Suarez.
The Argentinean scored his hat-trick in the 89th minute after meeting a volleyed cross from Suarez with a brilliant first-time finish after latching onto a fantastic feed from Jordi Alba.
After missing two months due to injury following the Copa America, Messi now seems back to his best after scoring three goals in 11 minutes.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined club co-owners David Beckham and Jorge Mas during the post-game celebration of the Supporters Shield victory, when he declared that the Shield had secured the team a spot in the 2025 Club World Cup.
Club World Cup gets Messi boost
Miami will occupy the qualifying spot allotted to the host country.
With two MLS games remaining, FIFA declared in a statement, “Inter Miami qualifies as the host country representative team on the basis of the club’s outstanding and consistent 34-match campaign that saw them secure the shield.”
The MLS Cup playoffs, which start next week and end with the final on December 7, will decide the official MLS champions.
Although Miami is the clear favorite to win the playoffs, the Argentine superstar will play because FIFA chose to choose the regular season winners.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi’s involvement is a much-needed boost to the tournament’s profile, which FIFA hopes would pique the interest of American fans and the world’s broadcast audience before the 2026 World Cup.
Messi may face elite European club opponents in the competition for the first time since he moved to Miami from Paris Saint-Germain last year.
Teams who have won titles in each of FIFA’s continental confederations will compete in the 32-team competition.
The European Leagues organization and players’ union FIFPRO jointly complained to the European Commission about FIFA’s inclusion of the tournament in the schedule of international matches.
The new tournament’s detractors claim it raises players’ workloads and adds even more chaos to an already packed schedule.
Source: Aljazeera