Inter Miami and Major League Soccer (MLS), once relatively low-profile on the world football stage, have undergone a dramatic transformation since the arrival of Lionel Messi. The Argentine icon has now helped the club secure the biggest league title in its history, guiding them to their first MLS Cup victory with two superb assists.
Messi’s presence had already changed the club’s fortunes, as Miami won its first-ever trophy in his debut season. Now, with multiple titles accumulated, the team has added the MLS Cup to that growing list—marking a new era of dominance for the Florida-based side.
From Underdogs to Champions: Messi’s Influence Beyond the Pitch
Following his triumphant 2022 World Cup win with Argentina, Messi has continued to embrace new challenges during his ongoing professional career. Inter Miami, previously viewed as a small and developing team, has been reshaped into a serious title contender.
Messi has been the driving force behind the arrival of several key stars—including Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suárez, and most recently, Rodrigo De Paul. His leadership and impact have turned Miami into one of MLS’s most formidable teams.
Messi also extended his record as the most decorated player in football history, bringing his total to 48. Navigating MLS’s unique system—where conference leaders battle in a playoff-style series—Miami first clinched the Eastern Conference title before defeating Thomas Müller’s Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 in the MLS Cup final.
“𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈; 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒊𝒍𝒕,” 𝒂 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏.
Miami Edges Vancouver in a Thrilling 3–1 Victory
The final at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale was tightly contested, with both sides pushing hard from the start. Vancouver fell behind early after an own goal by Edier Ocampo in just the 8th minute. Although Ali Ahmed equalized in the 60th minute, Miami’s response was swift and decisive.
Rodrigo De Paul restored Miami’s lead in the 71st minute, with Messi assisting both of the team’s goals. Tadeo Allende then sealed the victory in stoppage time, confirming Miami’s historic championship.
After lifting the trophy, Lionel reflected on the club’s journey:
“𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑴𝑳𝑺 𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅.
Beckham Praises Messi’s Impact on Miami’s Success
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham, who acquired the club 12 years ago, expressed his admiration for Messi’s influence. Although Miami began competing in 2020, it was Messi’s arrival three years later that truly changed the club’s identity.
Beckham emphasized Messi’s commitment both on and off the field:
“𝑯𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 𝑴𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒊. 𝑴𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒏—𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒚,” 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅.
Also Read: Déjà Vu Again: 2026 World Cup Draw Mirrors Last Three Editions
