Lionel Messi stars in Inter Miami win: How many hat tricks has Messi scored?
Miami fell behind against FC Cincinnati but a game-winning performance from Messi earned the win at TQL Stadium.
Another day, another starring performance from Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami captain maintained his own exceptional start to the 2026 season with a clinical hat trick in a 5-3 win over FC Cincinnati.
Miami came into the game on poor run of one win in their last three outings and faced a Cincinnati team who are resolute on home turf. The reigning MLS Cup champions took the lead at TQL Stadium but goals from Kevin Denkey and Pavel Bucha tipped the game in Cincy’s favor. But from then on Messi simply took control of the game, scoring two more and playing key roles in goals from Mateo Silvetti and German Berterame.
Messi ended the game with three goals and an assist, proving once again that he is worth every cent of his newly-released salary. Miami move to within two points of Nashville SC at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
How many hat tricks has Lionel Messi scored?
Wednesday’s treble in Ohio was the 61st hat trick of Messi’s extraordinary career. That works out at one every 18.9 games over the course of his 1153 games as a professional. It’s an incredible tally for the Argentine, who spent much of his early career as a winger before being transformed into a prolific goalscorer.
In this respect he is still behind old rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who has racked up a truly astonishing 66 hat tricks over the course of his career. However Ronaldo’s ratio of one hat trick every 20 games is slightly worse than Messi’s current record.
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