Major League Soccer’s 2025 championship ropes two diametric sides into one compelling finish.

Inter Miami, clad in flamingo pink and beneath the South Beach sunshine, has the league’s highest payroll. The Vancouver Whitecaps, unassuming in a wintry white and blue, are 17th in spending amid a relocation risk. High-scoring Miami dominated its last three playoff games by a combined score of 13-1; super-stout Vancouver eked out consecutive penalty shootouts in the prior rounds.

All-time great Lionel Messi leads his Herons in as title favorites. Rising star Brian White and veteran leader Thomas Müller try to cap the Whitecaps’ spectacular ascent. Each club is trying to win its first ever MLS Cup championship.

How to watch Vancouver Whitecaps at Inter Miami
Venue: Chase Stadium — Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET, Saturday
TV: Fox, Fox Deportes and Apple TV
Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.

Fox is also available for free over the air.

Messi has been heating up down the MLS stretch. The 38-year-old is still bending time and space, with either a goal or an assist in all five playoff looks. He scored five times in a three-match series against Nashville SC. He set up four more scores across the Eastern Conference semifinal and final.

There’s considerable striking power beyond Messi, too. Fellow Argentine forward Tadeo Allende notched a clutch hat trick in the prior round as Miami cruised past New York City FC. Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets each assisted on one of those goals. Those two longtime Messi teammates from FC Barcelona are set to retire at year’s end.

Standing in the way of an emotive and nostalgic standoff is upstart Vancouver. Its goalkeeper, Yohei Takaoka, already withstood high-leverage playoff pressure with those two PK wins. The Whitecaps rank No. 2 in MLS goals conceded, but they also have a cohesive attack. White scored two goals on San Diego FC to lock up the Western Conference last week.

Müller, who joined the Whitecaps after a 17-year career with Bayern Munich, still has lift in his legs. And back in April, this Vancouver crew beat Miami twice, 5-1 on aggregate, in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

This is far and away the best Whitecaps campaign in 15 MLS seasons. The franchise hadn’t advanced to the quarterfinals since 2017. Miami, meanwhile, has been in pursuit of this moment since Messi’s pen touched his MLS paperwork.

In-depth coverage from The AthleticTom Bogert talked to MLS players and executives about the final matchup

“‘Plenty of people in the league are rooting against Miami, that’s for sure,’ said one high-ranking club official. ‘But I think everybody recognizes it’s good for the league for them to do well.’

Miami spends more on player wages than any other team in MLS, with three of the seven highest-paid players in the league, led by Messi. His guaranteed compensation in 2025 was north of $20 million, which is more than the total wage bills of 20 other MLS teams.”

Felipe Cardenas gave his take on Messi’s latest legacy marker

“Inter Miami is a heavy favorite against Vancouver. They’re also a club that has learned how to bend MLS rules in order to field a starting XI with Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Rodrigo De Paul. Messi still gets preferential treatment from some MLS referees, something opposing fans, players and coaches harp about.

Messi has lost over a dozen finals in his career. The latest was a 3-0 defeat to the Seattle Sounders in the Leagues Cup final on August 31. It was a bad loss but winning the MLS Cup final remains Inter Miami’s main priority. Even though an MLS trophy will never carry the same weight as a Champions League winner’s medal, for a player like Messi who is in the twilight of his career, sometimes the last title is the most special one of all.”

Paul Tenorio and Joshua Kloke explained Vancouver’s franchise dilemma

“Saturday marks Vancouver’s first MLS Cup appearance. It has gotten there with what was mostly a group of career MLS players who have turned into bonafide stars, including Sebastian Berhalter, son of former U.S. men’s national team coach Gregg Berhalter. Then, this summer, the Whitecaps added German legend Thomas Müller to turn an underdog group into more of a star-driven side.

It’s been a historic year in nearly every respect. And it’s all happened with the team up for sale and, potentially soon, homeless. The Whitecaps’ lease with BC Place is up at the end of 2025. The team and British Columbia have held some talks about a new lease, but MLS commissioner Don Garber has not minced words that the arrangement as it currently stands is a non-starter for the team and the league.”

Updated MLS Cup odds

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