Lionel Messi stars with two assists as Inter Miami lift maiden MLS Cup with victory over Vancouver Whitecaps
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Published 06/12/2025 at 23:55 GMT
Lionel Messi delivered two assists as Inter Miami beat Vancouver Whitecaps to be crowned MLS Cup champions for the first time. The club, who are co-owned by David Beckham, were appearing in their maiden MLS Cup final and strikes by Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende, along with an Edier Ocampo own goal, were enough to secure victory, while Ali Ahmed scored for the Canadian side.
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Video credit: SNTV
Two assists from Lionel Messi helped Inter Miami lift the MLS Cup for the first time with a 3-1 victory over Thomas Muller’s Vancouver Whitecaps.
With co-owner David Beckham watching on, Messi set up two goals in the final 20 minutes to secure the win for Miami, who only made their MLS debut in 2020.
Messi was a splash signing when he signed halfway through the 2023 season - and the Argentina World Cup winner has now inspired the club to glory.
Miami are the 16th club to be crowned MLS champions.
"There was a lot of sleepless nights, but I always believed," Beckham said. "I always believed in bringing the team here, and when I found the right partners I knew anything was possible.
"We always promised our fans that we would bring success, and bring the best players, and today we've achieved that."
Strikes by Rodrigo De Paul, Tadeo Allende and an Edier Ocampo own goal proved the difference in the MLS Cup, as though Vancouver equalised in the second half through Ali Ahmed and were the better team for large parts of the game, Messi’s star power proved too much for the Canadian side on their first appearance in the final.
Inter Miami took a fortuitous lead when Messi helped put Allende in behind and when Ocampo tried to intercept his pass across the face of goal, the Colombian only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net.
Vancouver felt aggrieved not to have a penalty later in the first half when Sabbi tangled with Baltasar Rodriguez and fell in the box, though referee Drew Fisher was unmoved.
However, the Whitecaps finally made their pressure count on the hour mark through a well-worked goal featuring superb hold-up play by Brian White. Fed by Sabbi, he gave Ahmed time to arrive on the left flank and though Rocco Rios Novio got a hand to the shot, he couldn’t stop it nestling in the net.
Sabbi almost gave his side the lead barely a minute later when his shot ricocheted off both posts, then he hit the woodwork again with his follow-up attempt.
And Messi and Miami made them pay soon after, when Messi pickpocketed Andres Cubas and set up Rodrigo de Paul for a one-on-one that he didn’t miss.
Then as Vancouver poured forwards desperately hunting for an equaliser, Messi sealed the deal by dinking a sumptuous pass to Allende to score Miami’s third.
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