Lionel Messi leads Inter Miami to first MLS championship

Inter Miami’s grand Lionel Messi experiment has paid off with a Major League Soccer championship.

Messi notched two assists in the MLS Cup final on Dec. 6 against the Vancouver Whitecaps, a 3-1 victory with the go-ahead goal coming in the 71st-minute from Rodrigo De Paul.

Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer of 2023 and immediately helped the club claimed its first-ever trophy in the cross-border Leagues Cup. In 2024, Messi won his first league MVP award and led Miami to the Supporter’s Shield (best regular season record), but the team was upset in the first round of the playoffs.

Since his MLS arrival, Messi has been joined in Miami by Barcelona teammates Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as Argentina buddy De Paul. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano, who took over before the 2025 season, also played with the Barcelona group and the Argentines on the national team.

Inter Miami went ahead in the eighth minute on an own goal deflected in off Vancouver’s Édier Ocampo. The Whitecaps got an equalizer in the 60th minute but De Paul put Miami back in front 11 minutes later – and Tadeo Allende added a clincher deep into stoppage time.

Messi recently signed a two-year extension, but Busquets and Alba both announced they would retire at the end of the season and Suarez isn’t under contract for 2026.

Owned partly by David Beckham, the ambitious Inter Miami played its first MLS season in 2020 and will move into a new stadium next season.

‘Once you get that first star, you want to go for a second and a third,’ Beckham told Fox amid the on-field celebrations.

Inter Miami vs Vancouver highlights: 2025 MLS Cup final

Here’s how the MLS Cup final unfolded:

Rodrigo De Paul goal! Miami 2, Vancouver 1

Rodrigo De Paul scored for Inter Miami in the 71st minute, perhaps the winning goal in this MLS Cup final.

De Paul, who won a World Cup with Messi for Argentina and joined him in Miami this year, got the assist from Messi and cleanly finished a 1-on-1 with Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.

Emmanuel Sabbi hits both posts(!) for Whitecaps

Minutes after Ali Ahmed’s equalizer, Vancouver’s Emmanuel Sabbi smashed a shot off the post that bounced back across the face of goal and off the opposite post, somehow staying out to keep it 1-1.

The Whitecaps have been dominant for the last 10 minutes or so in Fort Lauderdale.

Ali Ahmed goal equalizes for Vancouver! Inter Miami 1, Whitecaps 1

Vancouver’s Ali Ahmed tied the MLS Cup final with a goal in the 60th minute, his shot bouncing off the hands of Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo.

A Canadian international, the 25-year-old Ahmed is expected to play a big role for the team at the 2026 World Cup.

in the 61st minute, hit shot

Miami vs Vancouver second half underway

In the 51st minute, the Whitecaps had another penalty shot ignored when Ali Ahmed went down trying to get by Maximiliano Falcón.

HALFTIME: Inter Miami 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 0

Miami takes a 1-0 led into the break, going ahead on a Vancouver own-goal in the eighth minute of the MLS championship game.

The Whitecaps had a golden chance to equalize in the 39th minute but Emmanuel Sabbi was denied from close range by Inter Miami goalkeeper Rocco Ríos Novo. A flicked-on header in the penalty area set Sabbi up, but an awkward bounce forced him to wait longer than he’d have liked for a first-time shot.

Vancouver getting frustrated in MLS Cup final

Vancouver’s Brian White was handed a yellow card in the 17th minute for shoving Maximiliano Falcon, who was admittedly theatrical in his fall. Baltasar Rdoriguez had received a yellow in the 13th minute for Inter Miami.

Miami leads 1-0 through the irst 24 minutes.

Inter Miami goal! 1-0 on Whitecaps own goal

Inter Miami took a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute when a deflection off Vancouver’s Édier Ocampo into the back of the net for an goal. After a nice pass from Lionel Messi (who drew three defenders), Tadeo Allende was trying to slot a ball across the goal to Mateo Silvetti when his pass met Ocampo’s leg.

2025 MLS Cup final kicks off

Major League Soccer’s championship game is underway in Fort Lauderdale with Lionel Messi 90 minutes away from winning his MLS title.

Inter Miami has looked lively in the first four minutes and Tadeo Allende blasting a shot over the bar from a tight angle after a positive passage of play.

Inter Miami lineup today

Vancouver Whitecaps starting lineup for MLS Cup final

MLS Cup 2025 predictions

Here’s how USA TODAY Network soccer experts see the 2025 MLS Cup playing out:

➤ Jim Reineking: Inter Miami over Vancouver Whitecaps. Really feel like this could be a fun game to watch with plenty of action and goals. Both teams come into this championship showdown on absolute heaters. Vancouver has a ‘team of destiny’ feel to it, but Lionel Messi profoundly tilts the balance of power Miami’s way.

➤ Jacob Shames: Inter Miami over Vancouver Whitecaps. Miami is as hot as it’s been all season, having won each of its last three games by four goals heading into the final. Thomas Muller and the Whitecaps attack can keep pace, but Lionel Messi will be too much to deal with as Miami wins, 3-2.

➤ Seth Vertelney: Inter Miami over Vancouver Whitecaps. The Herons have found the formula for victory lately, with Luis Suarez moving to the bench to provide Lionel Messi with younger, more dynamic attacking partners. That has led to three straight wins by a combined score of 13-1. It’s hard to see anybody stopping them in this kind of form.

➤ James Weber: Inter Miami over Vancouver Whitecaps. I don’t think even a team as good as the Whitecaps can slow down Lionel Messi, especially at home. Putting Mateo Silvetti in the lineup really made Miami unstoppable down the stretch.

MLS Cup: Results of every championship game since 1996

• 2024: Los Angeles Galaxy over New York Red Bulls (Dignity Health Sports Park), 2-1.
• 2023: Columbus Crew over Los Angeles FC (Lower.com Field), 2-1
• 2022: Los Angeles FC over Philadelphia Union (Banc of California Stadium), 3-3 (LAFC won penalty shootout, 3-0)
• 2021: New York City FC over Portland Timbers (Providence Park), 1-1 (NYCFC won penalty shootout, 4-2)
• 2020: Columbus Crew over Seattle Sounders FC (Mapfre Stadium), 3-0
• 2019: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (CenturyLink Field), 3-1
• 2018: Atlanta United over Portland Timbers (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 2-0
• 2017: Toronto FC over Seattle Sounders FC (BMO Field), 2-0
• 2016: Seattle Sounders FC over Toronto FC (BMO Field), 0-0 (Sounders won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• 2015: Portland Timbers over Columbus Crew (Mapfre Stadium), 2-1
• 2014: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (StubHub Center), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2013: Sporting Kansas City over Real Salt Lake (Sporting Park), 1-1 (SKC won penalty shootout, 7-6)
• 2012: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 3-1
• 2011: Los Angeles Galaxy over Houston Dynamo (Home Depot Center), 1-0
• 2010: Colorado Rapids over FC Dallas (BMO Field), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2009: Real Salt Lake over Los Angeles Galaxy (Qwest Field), 1-1 (RSL won penalty shootout, 5-4)
• 2008: Columbus Crew over New York Red Bulls (Home Depot Center), 3-1
• 2007: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (RFK Stadium), 2-1
• 2006: Houston Dynamo over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-1 (Dynamo won penalty shootout, 4-3)
• 2005: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Pizza Hut Park), 1-0 (extra time)
• 2004: D.C. United over Kansas City Wizards (Home Depot Center), 3-2
• 2003: San Jose Earthquakes over Chicago Fire (Home Depot Center), 4-2
• 2002: Los Angeles Galaxy over New England Revolution (Gillette Stadium), 1-0 (extra time)
• 2001: San Jose Earthquakes over Los Angeles Galaxy (Crew Stadium), 2-1 (extra time)
• 2000: Kansas City Wizards over Chicago Fire (RFK Stadium), 1-0
• 1999: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 2-0
• 1998: Chicago Fire over D.C. United (Rose Bowl), 2-0
• 1997: D.C. United over Colorado Rapids (RFK Stadium), 2-1
• 1996: D.C. United over Los Angeles Galaxy (Foxboro Stadium), 3-2 (extra time)

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