- Cristiano Ronaldo took stray bullets from fans on social media after Lionel Messi's recent hat-trick for Inter Miami
- Messi took matters into his own hands, netting a treble as Inter Miami made MLS history with their 6-2 win
- Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced that Messi's Miami will participate in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup
Cristiano Ronaldo found himself unexpectedly caught in the crossfire of social media banter after Lionel Messi delivered a masterclass performance to lead Inter Miami to a thrilling comeback victory.
Messi inspired his team to overturn a two-goal deficit, coming off the bench in the second half to score a stunning hat-trick and assist another goal, propelling the Herons to a record-breaking win.
Messi spurs Inter Miami to historic feat
With Messi's last three goals sealing the 6-2 victory, he not only etched his name deeper into MLS history but also became Inter Miami’s all-time top scorer with 33 goals, surpassing Leo Campana, ESPN reports.
CBS Sports adds that the win was even more significant as Miami set a new MLS points record for a single season with 74, breaking the previous record of 73 set by the New England Revolution in 2021—fittingly achieved by defeating them.
Messi's remarkable feat
Messi's impact extended beyond goalscoring. His 16 assists make him the league’s top provider, showcasing his all-around contribution.
The Argentine’s first goal came in classic Messi fashion, a vintage left-footed strike in the 78th minute.
He quickly added a second just three minutes later and completed his hat-trick by finishing off a dazzling team move in stoppage time.
Fans aim dig at Ronaldo while celebrating Messi
As fans flooded social media to celebrate Messi’s brilliance, many couldn't resist taking jabs at his long-time rival, Ronaldo.
Some fans emphasised the contrast between Messi’s style and Ronaldo’s reliance on penalties:
@tculer4 quipped,
"The other guy still needs penalties to brag😭."@Yemi_Mighty10 taunted,
"Two hat-tricks in the last four days; I dare Ronaldo to try it."@FCB_Rel chimed in,
"Certain player in a washed league still needs penalties to win games while we're here changing a team's history in a year 🐐."@Ricky_Roller_1 mocked,
"Hat-trick with zero penalties... all bangers."@Greatfootball9 concluded,
"It surprises Ronaldo how GOD showed us Messi🙌🙌."Messi appears to aim subtle dig at Ronaldo
In an earlier report by Legit.ng, Lionel Messi seemed to make a subtle comment regarding Cristiano Ronaldo.
After scoring a hat-trick and providing two assists during Argentina's World Cup qualifiers, Messi's international goal tally reached 112, placing him just behind his rival.
Despite this achievement, Messi downplayed the significance of the numbers in a post-match interview, stating that he doesn't focus on the statistics.
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Source: YEN.com.gh