The Shocking Reason Lionel Messi’s 61st Hat-Trick Was Stripped Away in Inter Miami Match Revealed!

A hat-trick denied by MLS

With the comeback sealed, all eyes turned to Messi, who had contributed three goals and an assist to guide Inter Miami to victory, a result that lifted the Herons to second place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 13 games. But MLS moved to clarify the official record.

FC Cincinnati-Inter Miami score in MLS official website.

On its official website, the league attributed the 89th-minute goal to an own goal by Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano. The ball had deflected off the post and appeared destined to stay out, but Celentano made slight contact with it on the way through. Because the ball was not crossing the line without his touch, he was credited as having turned it into his own net, stripping Messi of what would have been a historic moment.

see also

Rodrigo De Paul reportedly plans to leave Inter Miami after Lionel Messi retires

Messi keeps producing, but his hat-trick tally stands

The performance moved Messi to 12 goals and four assists in 14 appearances during the 2026 MLS season, a run of form that bodes well for Argentina’s title defense at the upcoming World Cup. His all-time career totals now stand at 909 goals and 411 assists across 1,153 games, though his official hat-trick count remains frozen at 60 following MLS’s ruling.

Messi currently sits second among active players in career hat-tricks, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads with 66. Wednesday’s performance would have trimmed that gap to five, but with the goal officially credited to Celentano, the chase will have to wait for another night.

Pages: 1 2 3