Lionel Messi delivered another night of stardust as Inter Miami won their first ever MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 at Chase Stadium, and capping the Argentinian’s season with the 47th trophy of his ridiculous career. The 38 year old set up two late goals to drag Miami over the line, finishing the match as MVP and collecting his first league title in America.
The match wasn’t all one way traffic. Vancouver actually ran the show for large parts, pushed on by veteran Thomas Mueller, and had the better chances before the thing swung on Messi’s influence. Inter looked flat at times, but when you’ve got the world’s best on the pitch, you always feel something stupid could happen.
Miami went ahead early after eight minutes when Messi sent Tadeo Allende scampering down the flank, and his cross clipped Whitecaps defender Edier Ocampo and bounced in for a messy own goal. Not glamorous, but they all count.
Vancouver stayed tidy and, after the break, finally made their possession count. Ali Ahmed burst into the area on the hour mark and squeezed a low shot past goalie Rios Novo, who probably should’ve done better given he got something on it before it trickled over the line.
Messi then took charge again, punishing a sloppy touch in midfield and sliding a clever pass to Rodrigo De Paul, who stroked it past Yohei Takaoka on 71 minutes. Proper clinical finish, job done. The stadium went off.
Deep into stoppage time, Messi added another assist, feeding Allende to wrap things up and spark emotional scenes. Jordi Alba was in tears at full time alongside Sergio Busquets, both of them expected to call it quits after this one. Messi paid tribute to his old mates: “I’m happy for them… finishing their careers this way is very nice for everyone. I wish them all the best.”
David Beckham, part owner and the bloke who built this Miami project from scratch, joined the party afterwards. He admitted the road hadn’t exactly been smooth. “There were a lot of sleepless nights… We promised our fans we’d bring the best players and bring success,” he said. “Next year is a new year and we go again but tonight, we celebrate.”
The win hands Messi his first MLS league title and puts a neat bow on his third season in the States, one he called “one of our main goals” before a ball was kicked. Inter Miami now go into 2025 with a target on their backs and a feeling they’ve only just started something dangerous.
