Lionel Messi set up two late goals as Inter Miami beat Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the 2025 MLS Cup Final on Saturday at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
MORE — MLS Cup winners, all-time
Miami struck early but Vancouver was the better side for a large portion of the game and equalizer through Canadian international Ali Ahmed.
Advertisement
MORE — Messi’s career numbers, accolades
But Messi stole the ball off a Vancouver midfielder to set up Rodrigo De Paul’s go-ahead goal and then made a classy pass to cue up Tadeo Allende’s insurance goal in the 3-1 win.
MORE — Messi’s MLS stats
Inter Miami now have an MLS Cup to go with a Leagues Cup title and a Supporters’ Shield, all of which have come with Messi leading the side. This particular trophy will also be the last one for both Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who are retiring after this season.
Messi, Beckham win together as names still carry in MLS
Major League Soccer’s unbelievable rise in around three decades came to a fitting conclusion in the last MLS Cup before this summer’s World Cup in the United States. A league that blasted off following the first Stateside World Cup now has some of the biggest names in the world on its rosters including, of course, the biggest. And the fact that Lionel Messi has shown pride in the league and delivered in almost every way is a huge victory for the league’s renown.
Advertisement
It also show something else — that as much as the league has grown in quality due to its terrific academy products like Ricardo Pepi and Tyler Adams as well as platforming of young stars from South America like Miguel Almiron, Thiago Almada, and Jhon Duran, there’s no substitute for good old fashioned megastars. Thomas Muller’s space on Vancouver’s roster might’ve not been necessary to add interest to Messi, Suarez, Alba, De Paul, and Busquets trying to help Beckham win a title, but it along with Heung-min Son’s move to LAFC raised more eyebrows.
And like Beckham and Thierry Henry earlier this century or Zlatan Ibrahimovic last decade, the best players in the world put butts in seats. It may be the last stop before retirement for them but it doesn’t mean that insecure fans should be put off by notions of the barbs of that R word. When Miami reloads from the exits of Alba and Busquets — and potentially Suarez — they’ll be sure to bring in a committed name that wants to win something. Unless it’s Mascherano stepping out of the technical area and piling on the Bengay, it’ll be…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at …