FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi will play for another trophy. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets clearly aren’t ready to begin their retirements, either.

Tadeo Allende scored three goals — Alba and Busquets, a pair of longtime Messi teammates who will retire when this season ends, had the assists on his first two — and Inter Miami topped New York City FC 5-1 on Saturday night for the Eastern Conference title and a berth in the MLS Cup final.

kAm|2E6@ $:=G6EE: D4@C65 😕 E96 efE9 >:?FE6 7@C x?E6C |:2>:[ H:E9 |6DD: D6EE:?8 FA E92E 8@2= — E96 c_dE9 2DD:DE @7 9:D 42C66C 7@C 4=F3 2?5 4@F?ECJ[ H9:49 😀 86?6C2==J 36=:6G65 E@ 36 E96 >@DE 😕 D@446C 9:DE@CJ] %6=2D4@ $68@G:2 D4@C65 @77 2 966= A2DD 7C@> p=32 😕 E96 gbC5 >:?FE6 E@ EFC? :E :?E@ 2 CF?2H2J[ 2?5 p==6?56 7:?:D9:?8 @77 E96 92E EC:4< 😕 E96 ghE9 >:?FE6 H2D E96 7:?2= A=2J]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 C624965 E96 7:?2= H:E9 2 3C@E96C9@@5 @7 >@G:?8 7@CH2C5[Q x?E6C |:2>: 4@249 y2G:6C |2D496C2?@ D2:5] “%96 A@H6C @7 @?6 8C@FA 42? @G6C4@>6 >2?J E9:?8D]”k^Am

kAm%6??:D DE2C r2C=@D p=42C2K 3C@F89E E96 t2DE EC@A9J @?E@ E96 7:6=5 E@ AC6D6?E E@ x?E6C |:2>:VD @H?6CD9:A[ 367@C6 :E H2D 92?565 E@ |6DD:] u:C6H@C: H2?ED >@DE]k^Am

kAm“(6 92G6 >256 2 72?E2DE:4 A=2J@77 CF? 2?5 2C6 G6CJ 56D6CG:?8 @7 C6249:?8 E96 7:?2=[Q $:=G6EE: D2:5 😕 $A2?:D9]k^Am

kAmx?E6C |:2>: — E96 }@] b D665 😕 E96 t2DE — H:== A=2J 9@DE E@ ‘2?4@FG6C 7@C E96 =628F6 E:E=6 @? s64] e 2E aib_ A]>] t2DE6C?] ‘2?4@FG6C E@AA65 $2? s:68@ b\` =2E6C $2EFC52J ?:89E 7@C E96 (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 E:E=6]k^Am

kAmxEV== 36 E96 7:CDE |{$ 7:?2= 2AA62C2?46 7@C x?E6C |:2>:[ H9:49 925 ?6G6C >256 :E A2DE E96 @A6?:?8 A@DED62D@? C@F?5 😕 2?J @7 :ED 7:CDE 7:G6 D62D@?D] |6DD:VD 4=F3 H6?E _\a 282:?DE ‘2?4@FG6C E9:D D62D@?[ =@D:?8 3@E9 =68D @7 2 D6>:7:?2= >66E:?8 😕 E96 r~}rprpu r92>A:@?D rFA 3J 2 d\` 288C682E6]k^Am

kAmyFDE:? w22< D4@C65 😕 E96 bfE9 >:?FE6 7@C }*rur[ H9:49 H6?E _\a\` 282:?DE x?E6C |:2>: E9:D D62D@?]k^Am

kAm%96 H:? >@G6D x?E6C |:2>: @?6 DE6A 4=@D6C E@ 2?@E96C EC@A9J[ 27E6C H:??:?8 E96 {628F6D rFA 😕 a_ab 2?5 E96 $FAA@CE6CDV $9:6=5 2D |{$V E@A C68F=2C\D62D@? E62> =2DE J62C] |6DD:[ 2 (@C=5 rFA 492>A:@? 7@C pC86?E:?2 2?5 ?@H 6:89E\E:>6 q2==@? 5’~C H:??6C[ ;@:?65 E96 E62> >:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 a_ab D62D@? H96? :E H2D 2E E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 |{$ DE2?5:?8D 2?5 😕 2? “\>2E49 H:?=6DD DEC62<]k^Am

kAm}@Hn %96 4=F3VD 3C2?5 😀 8=@32=[ |6DD:VD }@] `_ ;6CD6J 😕 E96 4=F3VD A:?< <:E 😀 D@=5 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=:@?6=\>6DD:\D@446C\:?E6C\>:2>:\`_5b352_67_4eh67b55eab4c33_h6e6`Qm2 ?6H DE25:F> ?62C |:2>: x?E6C?2E:@?2= p:CA@CEk^2m 😀 @? E96 H2J 7@C ?6IE D62D@?[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^=:@?6=\>6DD:\:?E6C\>:2>:\4@?EC24E\ebh__2c_be26`32c6eaa7dgbb_c2d_daQm|6DD: 😀 D:8?65 E9C@F89 a_ag[k^2m 96 D66>D =:<6 2 =@4< E@ H:? 9:D D64@?5 4@?D64FE:G6 |{$ |’! 2H2C5 2?5 E96 E62> 😀 @? E96 3C:?< @7 2? |{$ E:E=6]k^Am

kAm$E2CD 7=@4< E@ D66 E9:D E62> 3642FD6 @7 |6DD:j k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^x?E6C|:2>:ru^DE2EFD^`hhchaf_g_ffc_ahbhdnDla_Qmp=42C2Kk^2m H2D E96C6 $2EFC52J ?:89E[ 2D H6C6 D@>6 >6>36CD @7 E96 &]$] H@>6?VD ?2E:@?2= E62>]k^Am

kAm“tG6CJ@?6 😕 E96 H@C=5 @HD H9@ {:@?6= |6DD: :D] ]]] x E9:?< 6G6CJ@?6 E9@F89E 96 H@F=5 4@>6 😕 96C6 2?5 5@ 6I24E=J H92E 96VD 5@?6[” D2:5 &]$] H@>6?VD 7@CH2C5 {:?5D2J w@C2? — H9@D6 |6DD: 72?5@> 8@6D 324< >2?J J62CD]k^Am

kAm|6DD: 8@E DECF4< 2=@?8 E96 =67E D:56 @7 9:D 9625 😕 E96 ?:?E9 >:?FE6 2?5 H2D 3C:67=J D92<6? FA[ C6>2:?:?8 5@H? ?62C E96 46?E6C 4:C4=6 7@C 2 76H D64@?5D 367@C6 6G6?EF2==J 86EE:?8 E@ 9:D 766E] w6 8@E EC:AA65 H:E9 x?E6C |:2>: @? E96 2EE24< 23@FE EH@ >:?FE6D =2E6C[ E96? E@@< 2 5:C64E <:4< 7C@> 23@FE b_ J2C5D @FE — A=2J:?8 :E :?E@ E96 3@I[ 3FE $:=G6EE:’D 96256C H2D 62D:=J 42F89E 3J }*rur 8@2=:6 |2EE uC66D6]k^Am

kAmx?E6C |:2>:VD ?6IE 492?46 42>6 2 >:?FE6 =2E6C] %9:D @?6 H2D 42D965 😕 — 2 =@?8 A2DD 7C@> qFDBF6ED H2D 4@?EC@==65 3J p==6?56[ H9@ 62D:=J 362E uC66D6 7C@> 23@FE `a J2C5D @FE 7@C 2 `\_ =625]k^Am

kAmp==6?56 DECF4< 282:? @? 2 96256C @77 2 =@?8 A2DD 7C@> p=32 😕 E96 abC5 >:?FE6[ >2<:?8 :E a\_] p?5 27E6C |6DD: D6E $:=G6EE: FA 7@C E96 b\` =625[ H92E 6DD6?E:2==J H2D 2 ad\>:?FE6 @C D@ 4@F?E5@H? E@ 2 46=63C2E:@? H2D F?56CH2J]k^Am

kAm“%9:D 😀 2 G6CJ D2E:D7J:?8 C6DF=E 3FE E96 H@C< 4@?E:?F6D[Q p==6?56 D2:5 😕 $A2?:D9] Q%96C6 😀 DE:== H@C< E@ 5@ 3FE 92AAJ H:E9 H92E H6 92G6 244@>A=:D965]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{$i k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>2;@C\=628F6\D@446CQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^>2;@C\=628F6\D@446Ck^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.