Lionel Messi’s legacy was already secure when he joined Inter Miami and Major League Soccer — a World Cup, dozens of trophies and a wide consensus as one of the game’s greatest. He didn’t need an MLS Cup. He wanted one — and he got it.
Messi and Inter Miami completed their rise by beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday in the MLS Cup final, giving the franchise its first championship about 2½ years after the superstar’s move to South Florida. Messi set up the title-clinching goal in the 72nd minute with a steal and a threaded pass through a narrow gap in a wall of Vancouver defenders to Rodrigo De Paul. De Paul took it in stride and slotted it into the far corner, and Messi leapt into his arms in celebration.
As the final minutes ticked away, Miami’s pink-clad fans — many wearing Messi’s No. 10 — stood, stomped and cheered. South Florida, which has seen NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL titles, is now a soccer town as well. Tadeo Allende added a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time from another Messi assist to make it 3-1.
Inter Miami became the 16th franchise in MLS history to win the title. The result continues the league’s parity: five different teams have won championships in the last five years, and eight franchises have claimed titles in the past nine seasons, with Columbus the only repeat winner in that span.
Photographs captured Messi celebrating the MLS Cup at Chase Stadium on Dec. 6, 2025, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
CBS Miami will air a streaming special with postgame analysis and fan reaction immediately after the match on the CBS News Miami stream and Pluto TV.
