Lionel Messi once again proved why he's the heartbeat of Inter Miami, orchestrating a stunning comeback against FC Cincinnati on Wednesday, May 13th. But in a move that left fans scratching their heads, Major League Soccer denied the Argentine superstar what would have been the 61st hat-trick of his legendary career.

With the game on the line in the 89th minute, Messi unleashed a shot that ricocheted off the post and then deflected off Cincinnati goalkeeper Roman Celentano before crossing the line. The initial celebration was electric—Messi had seemingly bagged his third goal of the night, capping off a performance that included three goals and an assist. That output lifted Inter Miami to second place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points from 13 games, a testament to the Herons' growing momentum.

However, the euphoria was short-lived. Shortly after the final whistle, MLS officials reviewed the play and credited the goal as an own goal by Celentano. According to the league's official website, the ball was not heading toward the net until the goalkeeper's touch redirected it. Under FIFA's Laws of the Game, when a shot is not on target and only enters the goal due to a defender's intervention, it must be ruled an own goal—no matter how close the attacker was to scoring.

It's a strict interpretation, but one that MLS enforces consistently. For Messi, it means his official hat-trick count remains frozen at 60, keeping him second among active players behind Cristiano Ronaldo, who leads with 66. The gap would have narrowed to just five with Wednesday's feat, but the chase will have to wait for another night.

For context, Messi's all-time career stats now sit at 909 goals and 411 assists across 1,153 appearances. While the hat-trick milestone was denied, his impact on the pitch remains undeniable. Inter Miami fans will surely hope this ruling only fuels his fire for the next match—and maybe the next hat-trick opportunity.