Major League Soccer
Inter Miami 3 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps
Inter Miami leads the Eastern Conference in scoring with 81 goals [Reuters]
Lionel Messi provided two assists as Inter Miami beat the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Field to win the MLS Cup for the first time.
Miami got off to a perfect start and took the lead eight minutes in when Edil Ocampo scored an own goal while trying to defend Tadeo Allende.
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Vancouver got into the game late in the first half and had two great chances to tie the game.
Their first meaningful goal came in the 38th minute when goalkeeper Rocco Rios got the call and blocked Emmanuel Sabbi’s shot from close range.
Thomas Müller’s header hit the roof of the net and threatened to equalize.
The Whitecaps were aggressive and were rewarded when Ali Ahmed’s frayed shot was squeezed under Rios’ armpit.
Sabi was unlucky not to give the visitors the lead soon after, as his shot hit both posts and his rebound was deflected onto the woodwork.
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But the game was played in a carnival atmosphere in Fort Lauderdale and Vancouver kept the score level for just 11 minutes when Rodrigo De Paul latched on to Lionel Messi’s perfectly weighted ball before showing composure to finish home.
Vancouver fought hard to tie the game in the closing stages, but Miami, backed by a large crowd of fans waving pink scarves, fought back.
Messi once again answered the call to provide the assist, controlling the ball high in front of his chest before flicking it to Allende, who rolled the ball through Takaoka’s legs.
The MLS Cup is the championship competition of Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the United States.
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After the regular season, the championship will be determined through the playoff knockout rounds, and the teams will be divided into East and West.
“We made a promise to our fans and we will deliver.”
David Beckham won the MLS Cup twice with the LA Galaxy [Getty Images]
It’s the day Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham had always dreamed of when he bought the team from Major League Soccer for a discounted £15.6m – part of the financial package he negotiated when he joined LA Galaxy as a player in 2007.
Inter Miami made their MLS debut in 2020, officially becoming a franchise in 2018, and can now proudly claim the league’s top prize.
“All the emotions came out at the end of the game,” Beckham said.
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“There were a lot of sleepless nights, but I always believed in Miami. I found the right partners and knew anything was possible.
“Our jersey says freedom to dream and we promised our fans that we will achieve that. Next year is a new year, but tonight we celebrate.”
The arrival of eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in the summer of 2023 is a watershed moment.
The Herons spent heavily on Messi in 2023, signing former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, before bringing in Luis Suarez in 2024.
In August 2023, Messi and his teammates defeated Nashville to lift the League Cup, winning the first trophy in the history of the Miami Heat in just seven appearances.
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In 2024, they won the Supporters’ Shield and the Eastern Conference Championship, but lost in the first round of the play-offs.
They have reached the play-offs again this season, finishing third in the Eastern Conference, and have won each of their three rounds by a combined victory of at least four goals.
In October, Messi committed his future to Miami until 2028, and the team hopes to try and capitalize on the momentum.
But Busquets and Alba had played their final games and coach Javier Mascherano, who won his first trophy as manager, was delighted to see them emerge victorious.
“This is how they should end their careers,” Mascherano said.
“They won everything at different clubs but they came here and together with Lionel Messi changed the mentality at Inter Miami.
“This farewell was great for them.”
[Getty Images]
[Getty Images]
