Fort Lauderdale
Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi has praised his teammates’ unwavering determination after the club secured its first-ever MLS Cup title with a 3-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps. The 38-year-old Argentine superstar said the victory capped a gruelling yet rewarding campaign that saw Miami compete across multiple tournaments with remarkable consistency.
Reflecting on the triumph, Messi highlighted the team’s commitment throughout a season that included an exhausting 58 matches in all competitions. One of the objectives when we arrived here was this, he said, recalling his 2023 arrival alongside former Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. We were able to win the Leagues Cup as soon as we arrived. Now we’ve had a great year, where we competed in every competition we had to play. We reached another Leagues Cup final and we played a CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.
Messi noted that while last year Miami topped the regular-season standings but exited early in the playoffs, the squad entered the 2025 season with a renewed objective: to win MLS. The team put in a huge effort. It’s been a very long year with a lot of matches, and the team was up to the task, he added.
The Argentine maestro played a pivotal role in Saturday’s final, providing two crucial assists—first to Rodrigo De Paul and then to Tadeo Allende—as Miami pulled away in the closing stages. Messi concluded the MLS campaign with staggering numbers: 35 goals and 23 assists in 33 league appearances. Across all competitions in 2025, he contributed 43 goals and 26 assists in 49 matches, underlining his continued brilliance at the highest level.
Messi also paid an emotional tribute to Alba and Busquets, who had announced their retirement at the end of the season. Something very beautiful is ending for them, something to which they dedicated their whole lives. From now on, another life begins, he said.
