US Major League Soccer
Inter Miami 3 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps FT
Inter Miami were the top scorers in the Eastern Conference, registering 81 times [Reuters]
Lionel Messi provided two assists as Inter Miami beat Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium to win the MLS Cup for the first time.
Miami got off to the perfect start and took the lead on eight minutes when Edier Ocampo put into his own net when trying to defend Tadeo Allende.
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Vancouver grew into the game late in the first half and had two big opportunities to level.
Their first meaningful attempt at goal came in the 38th minute when goalkeeper Rocco Rios was on call to deny Emmanuel Sabbi from point blank range.
Thomas Muller was next to threaten an equaliser when his header landed on the roof of the net.
The Whitecaps came out positively and got their reward on the hour as Ali Ahmed’s scuffed shot squeezed under Rios’ arm.
Sabbi was unlucky not to put the visitors in front moments later when he his shot crashed off both posts and his follow-up on the rebound was also deflected on to the woodwork.
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But Vancouver were only level for 11 minutes as the game, which played out in a carnival atmosphere in Fort Lauderdale, after Rodrigo de Paul met Lionel Messi’s perfectly weighted ball before showing composure to finish across goal.
Vancouver threw bodies forward in the final stages as they battled for an equaliser but Miami – willed on by a sea of fans waving pink scarves – struck on the counter.
Messi was again on call to provide the assist, controlling a lofted ball on his chest and then flicking on for Allende, who rolled the ball through Yohei Takaoka’s legs.
The MLS Cup is the championship game of Major League Soccer, the top-flight league in the United States.
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A post-season knockout tournament determines the champion, following the regular season in which teams are split into the Eastern and Western Conferences.
‘Promised our fans we would deliver’
David Beckham won the MLS Cup twice when playing for LA Galaxy [Getty Images]
This was the day Inter Miami co-owner Sir David Beckham had been dreaming of when he purchased the franchise for a discounted £15.6m from Major League Soccer – 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, having officially launched as a franchise in 2018, and they can now boast the league’s greatest prize.
“All the emotion came out in the final few moments of the game,” Beckham said.
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“There was a lot of sleepless nights but I always believed in Miami. I found the right partners and knew anything was possible.
“It says freedom to dream on our shirts and we promised our fans we would deliver. 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 was a watershed moment.
The Herons invested heavily to support Messi in 2023, signing former Barcelona team-mates Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, before adding Luis Suarez in 2024.
It took just seven appearances for Messi and co to deliver silverware – Miami’s first-ever – when they beat Nashville to lift the Leagues Cup in August 2023.
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In 2024, they won the Supporters’ Shield and Eastern Conference title but came up short in round one of the play-offs.
They reached the play-offs again this season, having finished third in the Eastern Conference, and came through each of the three rounds with aggregate victories of at least four goals.
In October, Messi committed his future to Miami until 2028 as the franchise look to try and capitalise on this momentum.
But Busquets and Alba have played their final game and head coach Javier Mascherano, who won his first trophy as a manager, was delighted to see them end on a high.
“They deserve to finish their career in this way,” Mascherano said.
“They won everything with different clubs but they came here and changed the mentality at Inter Miami, along with Lionel Messi.
“This goodbye is fantastic for them.”
[Getty Images]
[Getty Images]
