Inter Miami CF won the MLS cup this past Saturday, capping off a storybook run for Lionel Messi and The Herons. Arguably the greatest player to ever touch the pitch, the win gave Messi his 48th trophy of his illustrious career.
Established in 2020, Inter Miami CF immediately gained notice in part of its co-owner David Beckham, another legend of the game. However, things didn’t start great for Beckham’s new club. Miami struggled in its first few years, sitting at last place in the league, failing to win any hardware or make any big signings.
But things changed dramatically in 2023 with the signing of one man: Messi. It was the biggest signing in MLS history by far, but it wasn’t easy to convince the most beloved player in the sport to sign with a struggling club in a league which has never been considered world-class.
Messi’s ground-breaking contract included a share of Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass subscriptions, Adidas jersey sales and global merchandising, and the option to buy a minority stake in Inter Miami CF, all on top of a $50–60M/year salary.
But the deal has been worth every penny.
Messi brought along with him former star teammates from Barcelona, including Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets.
Once he signed, everything changed for Miami, and the entire MLS. Inter Miami gained millions of new social media followers in days, quickly becoming the most followed MLS team. Apple TV subscriptions spiked globally, and ticket prices for Miami games rose up to 1,000%.
Within Messi’s first month, he scored 10 goals in seven games, leading Miami to the 2023 Leagues Cup title — the first trophy in club history. However, the trophy everyone wanted was the MLS cup, awarded to the best team in MLS over the course of the season.
The road to the MLS championship is unlike other leagues around the world. Even if you finish atop the table, which Miami did, you have to play your way through five rounds of playoffs.
Messi’s run through the 2025 playoffs was vintage. He set a league record with 15 goal contributions (six goals, nine assists), earning 2025 MLS cup MVP.
The final was everything fans could have wanted. Miami took on the Vancouver Whitecaps, who finished second in the Western Conference with an 18-9-7 record. They beat Miami 3-1 earlier in the season, and had German icon and World Cup champion Thomas Müller.
Having the better regular-season record, Miami earned home-field advantage, which proved crucial in the final. Fans rallied behind Messi at Chase Stadium, chanting his name throughout the game, hailing him, and praising him like a god. Argentine flags flailed about in the stands which were painted pink with “Messi” jerseys.
The game was also Alba and Busquets’s last ever professional game. Both players are all-time greats and considered the best to ever play their positions, and everyone watching wanted their storied careers to end on a high note.
Within the first 10 minutes, Miami gained the lead thanks to Messi. He escaped two Whitecaps defenders on the sideline and flicked the ball downfield, ending at forward Tadeo Allende’s feet, which he clipped off a Vancouver defender and into the net to open the scoring.
After a Vancouver goal and another shot off the post, it was starting to look like Messi and company were in trouble, until the 71st minute. Messi pick-pocketed a Whitecaps player and perfectly slid the ball between two more defenders, landing at fellow Argentine Rodrigo De Paul’s feet before he slotted it home into the corner for the lead.
To cap off the game, it was more vintage action, this time from Alba. In the 96th minute, Alba played a long ball into the middle for Messi, who chested the ball and immediately volleyed it over the head of a Vancouver defender. As it always does when leaving the boot of Messi, the ball plopped right into the lap of his target man, Tadeo Allende, who had one man standing between him and securing Miami’s first MLS championship. He sliced the ball right through the keeper’s legs, perfectly capping off Inter Miami’s storied season.
Two assists for Messi in a vintage final performance, a beautiful ball for the last pass of Jordi Alba’s career, and just another trophy for the boy from Rosario, Argentina.
