Lionel Messi Makes MLS Playoff History, Goal Thrills Fan as Miami Advances in Bracket

Inter Miami scored four goals on Sunday. Lionel Messi was instrumental in every single one of them.

The superstar notched a goal and three assists as his team defeated FC Cincinnati to move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Mateo Silvetti added a goal of his own and Tadeo Allende recorded a brace, but Sunday was all about Messi, who now has 12 goal contributions in these playoffs, the most in a single MLS postseason ever.

Suffice to say, everybody was singing the GOAT's praises after the game:

It's hard to separate Inter Miami's dominance on Sunday from Messi's extraordinary play. The actual stats from the game don't tell the story of a 4-0 result—Miami held 51 percent of possession, shots were even at 14-14 apiece (6-5 advantage for Inter Miami in shots on goal) and Cincy held a 4-2 advantage in corners.

But on so many occasions, Messi popped up in the perfect position or made the perfect decision, threading a pass to send his teammate off to the races.

For his entire career, Messi has met the moment. It's no surprise he's doing so at a record-setting pace during his MLS career.