FORT LAUDERDALE – Lionel Messi finally has his MLS Cup, and Inter Miami at last have the trophy they were built – and doubted – to win.
On a steamy South Florida afternoon at Chase Stadium, Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 in the 2025 MLS Cup final, a statement victory that crowned the club’s first league championship and cemented the Messi-era project as a resounding success.
How Miami Won the 2025 MLS Cup
Inter Miami’s win over Vancouver was part ruthless efficiency, part sheer star power, and part tactical evolution.
- Miami opened the scoring in the
8th minute when Vancouver defender
Édier Ocampo turned a Tadeo Allende cross into his own net, giving the hosts an early 1–0 lead.
- Vancouver fought back after the break, with
Ali Ahmed leveling in the
60th minute to make it 1–1 and briefly silence the Fort Lauderdale crowd.
- Then came the turning point: in the
71st minute,
Lionel Messi pounced on a midfield turnover and slipped in compatriot
Rodrigo De Paul, who finished to restore Miami’s lead at 2–1.
- Deep into stoppage time, Messi again threaded the killer pass, sending
Tadeo Allende through in the
96th minute to seal the
3–1 victory and the title.
The box score tells you Miami won; the story behind it is how Messi controlled the game without scoring, delivering
two assists and orchestrating nearly every dangerous move Miami produced.
Messi’s Record-Breaking Night
This was not just another trophy; it was a night of records and legacy-defining numbers.
- Messi finished the postseason with a
playoff-record 15 goal contributions (6 goals, 9 assists), the most in MLS Cup Playoffs history.
- The MLS Cup win is widely noted as his
world-record 47th major trophy for club and country, extending his lead as the most decorated player in football history.
- He was named
Man of the Match, with MLS calling his performance a textbook example of stepping up “in the biggest moments.”
Local and international outlets framed the night as the culmination of a long chase: after league and cup titles around the world, Messi finally added
MLS Cup champion to his resume.
The Mascherano Masterstroke
Behind Miami’s star power was a bold coaching gamble from
Javier Mascherano.
The 2025 season began under intense scrutiny after Inter Miami hired Mascherano, a close friend and former Argentina teammate of Messi, as head coach. Critics questioned whether the appointment was sentimental rather than strategic.
Mascherano’s turning point came in the playoffs:
- Star striker
Luis Suárez received a
one-game suspension in the decisive Round One match against Nashville SC.
- Forced to adjust, Mascherano started new signing
Mateo Silvetti and rebalanced the attack. Miami powered to a
4–0 win over FC Cincinnati and a
5–1 rout of New York City FC to reach and win the Eastern Conference title for the first time.
- Even after Suárez’s suspension ended, Mascherano kept him on the bench in subsequent knockout games – including the MLS Cup final – favoring more dynamic, hard-running lineups.
Mascherano openly admitted the decision was brutal given Suárez’s stature, but praised the Uruguayan for accepting the call and staying committed to the squad. That mix of ruthlessness and man-management proved central to Miami’s postseason run.
Messi’s Commitment: Club Above Country
Another thread running beneath this championship story is Messi’s very visible buy‑in to the Miami project.
In October, when Argentina scheduled a friendly against Venezuela in Miami, Messi chose to prioritize Inter Miami’s MLS schedule even though the league did not pause for the international window.
- He trained with the Argentina national team during the week.
- But when matchday came, Messi
skipped the friendly and played for Inter Miami the next day against Atlanta United, helping secure a crucial win that locked up
third place in the Eastern Conference – and, ultimately, home-field advantage over Vancouver in MLS Cup.
Without that result, Miami would have finished one point behind the Whitecaps, and the final would have been in Vancouver instead of Florida. Mascherano called it proof of Messi’s “special and unique” commitment to the club.
A New Superclub Era in MLS?
For Inter Miami, this title is more than a one-off win; it looks like the completion of a deliberate, multi-year build.
According to MLS and regional reports:
- Miami previously lifted the
Leagues Cup (2023) and the
Supporters’ Shield (2024), signaling their rise from expansion chaos to genuine powerhouse.
- The 2025 MLS Cup makes them the
16th different club to win the league’s championship.
- This comes in only the
sixth season in club history, with the team now set to open
Miami Freedom Park next April – a new stadium that will likely feel very different with a championship banner hanging inside.
Club co-owner David Beckham and coach Mascherano have both framed the title as validation of the long-term plan built around Messi. Mascherano went as far as calling Messi the “foundation” of Miami’s success, praising his contribution and commitment across the entire season.
Goodbye, Legends: Alba and Busquets Bow Out as Champions
The MLS Cup win also doubled as a
farewell party for two other European greats.
- Fullback
Jordi Alba and midfielder
Sergio Busquets had previously announced they would retire after the 2025 season.
- The title ensures the former Barcelona duo finish their careers by lifting one more major trophy alongside Messi.
For fans, it added another emotional layer: a last dance for the trio that once dominated Europe, now walking off in pink shirts as MLS champions.
What This Means for MLS – and What Comes Next
This win is a marketing dream and a competitive flashpoint for MLS:
- The league’s marquee global star not only moved the needle commercially but also
delivered the league’s biggest prize.
- The match showcased what MLS has been pushing toward: packed stadiums, international stars, tactical sophistication, and high-stakes drama.
But it also raises questions:
- Can Miami sustain this level once Alba and Busquets are gone?
- How long will Messi continue playing at this intensity?
- And will other clubs ramp up spending and ambition to keep pace with a newly crowned superteam?
What is clear: the
“Messi project” in Miami – once derided as a retirement tour – has evolved into a winning machine. The pink smoke, the packed stands, and the image of Messi hoisting MLS Cup suggest something deeper: MLS just got its defining superstar era, and Inter Miami have the silverware to prove it.
Sources
1. CHAMPIONS! Inter Miami & Lionel Messi win MLS Cup ...
2. Now with a maiden MLS Cup, Miami's Messi project is ...
3. Inter Miami Angkat Trofi MLS Cup 2025 | BALIPOST.com
4. Momen Inter Miami Hajar Vancouver 3-1, Lionel Messi ...
5. Inter Miami Juara MLS Cup 2025, Begini Kata Mascherano ...
