Why MLS denied Messi his 61st career hat trick in Miami comeback

Why MLS denied Messi his 61st career hat trick in Miami comeback

Lionel Messi was the driving force behind Inter Miami's thrilling comeback against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, May 13th, but Major League Soccer declined to credit him with what would have been the 61st hat-trick of his career. Messi appeared to have a hat trick in the 89th minute when his shot went off the post and deflected off Celentano, but it was corrected to an own goal shortly after the match.

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. The performance showcased Messi's continued dominance in MLS, but the official scoring decision highlighted the league's strict interpretation of goal attribution rules.

The technical ruling behind the decision

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.

This decision reflects MLS's adherence to FIFA's Laws of the Game regarding goal attribution. When a shot is not on target to cross the goal line and only enters the net due to a defender's touch, the goal must be credited as an own goal regardless of the attacking player's intent or proximity to scoring.

Impact on Messi's chase for Ronaldo's record