{"id":78536,"date":"2025-12-10T15:46:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T15:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/78536\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T15:46:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T15:46:36","slug":"messi-and-inter-miami-have-completed-their-journey-they-win-the-mls-cup-topping-vancouver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/78536\/","title":{"rendered":"Messi and Inter Miami have completed their journey. They win the MLS Cup, topping Vancouver"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\t\t\t\t\tVideo above: High School football semifinals scores and highlights | Dec. 5Lionel Messi\u2019s legacy was long secured when he came to Inter Miami and joined Major League Soccer. He\u2019d won a World Cup, won dozens of trophies, was generally considered the greatest player in the sport\u2019s history.He didn\u2019t need an MLS Cup.But he wanted one \u2014 and got it.Messi and Inter Miami have completed their ascent, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday in the MLS Cup final for the franchise\u2019s first championship. It came 2 1\/2 years after the legend arrived in South Florida, a move that stunned plenty of onlookers at the time.He led the team to a Leagues Cup trophy in 2023, the MLS Supporters\u2019 Shield last year before a first-round playoff loss \u2014 and now, they grabbed MLS\u2019 biggest prize.\u201cLast year we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round,\u201d Messi said in Spanish afterward. \u201cThis year, winning MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort \u2014 it was a very long year, with many matches \u2014 and we were up to the task all season.\u201dThe latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 NewsMessi set up the title-clinching goal with a 72nd-minute assist to Rodrigo De Paul, a play where Messi stole the ball and threaded a pass through a tiny gap in a wall of Vancouver defenders. De Paul got it in stride, pushed it into the far corner of the net \u2014 and Messi went airborne to hop into his arms a few seconds later, all smiles.And as the final minutes ticked away, Inter Miami\u2019s pink-clad fans \u2014 most wearing Messi\u2019s No. 10 on their backs \u2014 stood and stomped and cheered. South Florida has seen NFL and NBA and Major League Baseball and NHL titles in the past.It\u2019s a soccer town now, too. Messi made that happen. Tadeo Allende scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time \u2014 off another Messi assist, of course \u2014 to make it 3-1. And when Messi lifted the trophy surrounded by his teammates, confetti rained down and fireworks boomed.\u201cThis was the dream,\u201d Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. \u201cA spectacular day.\u201dInter Miami became the 16th franchise in the league\u2019s 30-year history to win an MLS title. And this extends a run of parity for MLS, which has seen five different franchises win championships in the last five years and eight franchises claim a title in the last nine seasons \u2014 only Columbus has won twice in that span.\u201cThey said soccer would never make it in America,\u201d MLS Commissioner Don Garber said during the trophy ceremony. \u201cInter Miami fans, has soccer made it?\u201dIt has, and the moment is also the culmination of a 12-year odyssey for David Beckham, part of Inter Miami\u2019s ownership group.He retired as a player in 2013 and his MLS contract said he could start a franchise at a discounted rate when his career ended. Beckham chose Miami and it took him years to finally make it happen; it wasn\u2019t until January 2018 when the franchise was formally born, after he partnered with Miami businessmen Jorge Mas and Jose Mas, and even then the team didn\u2019t have a stadium plan.The team started play in 2020, and Messi arrived halfway through the 2023 season. Inter Miami was in last place in MLS at the time.Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.And then Messi arrived. The last-place team then now runs the league.\u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible journey,\u201d Beckham said.The trophy is Messi\u2019s 47th for club and country, extending his global men\u2019s soccer record, and some say it\u2019s actually 48 because MLS awards a trophy for winning conference titles as well. He\u2019s now won at least 21 titles in one-match final situations, many of them with the core of this team \u2014 Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano, his longtime Barcelona teammates.Busquets and Alba are retiring and got to go out as champions. Suarez\u2019s future is uncertain. Mascherano is the coach now, one who changed Inter Miami\u2019s lineup and tactics halfway through the season \u2014 his first one leading the club \u2014 with this moment in mind.And the 38-year-old Messi, the 2024 MLS MVP who seems like a lock to win the award again this season, still is like none other in the biggest moments with a contract that could have him playing with Miami into his early 40s. When next season starts, the team will be playing in a new stadium near Miami International Airport with a back-to-back title in mind.\u201cHe\u2019s not just here to enjoy living in Miami,\u201d Beckham said. \u201cHis wife and the kids love Miami, but he\u2019s come here to win, and that\u2019s really what Leo is all about. He wants to win. He\u2019s got that dedication, the loyalty that he shows to his teammates, to the city, to the club. Leo is a winner. It\u2019s simple as that.\u201dInter Miami went up 1-0 on an own goal in the eighth minute, before Vancouver tied it in the 60th on a score by Ali Ahmed. Another Vancouver shot hit both posts about two minutes later but stayed out, a huge moment.\u201cIt was very close and I think it could have been different,\u201d Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen said. \u201cBut that is football.\u201dSaid Mascherano: \u201cMaybe that was the luck we needed to be champions.\u201dNot long after the final whistle, Messi went over to the Inter Miami supporters section and threw both his hands in the air. It was a moment 2 1\/2 years in the making. The team stayed on the field for more than an hour afterward, taking pictures with friends and family.\u201cThis is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for,\u201d Messi said. \u201cIt\u2019s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it.\u201d\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Video above: High School football semifinals scores and highlights | Dec. 5<\/p>\n

Lionel Messi\u2019s legacy was long secured when he came to Inter Miami and joined Major League Soccer. He\u2019d won a World Cup, won dozens of trophies, was generally considered the greatest player in the sport\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t need an MLS Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But he wanted one \u2014 and got it.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FT.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesIcon Sportswire\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFT. LAUDERDALE, FL – DECEMBER 06: Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) and the rest of the Inter Miami team celebrate with the MLS cup following the 2025 MLS Cup Finals between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami CF on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL. (Photo by Chris Arjoon\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Messi and Inter Miami have completed their ascent, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday in the MLS Cup final for the franchise\u2019s first championship. It came 2 1\/2 years after the legend arrived in South Florida<\/a>, a move that stunned plenty of onlookers at the time.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FT.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesIcon Sportswire\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFT. LAUDERDALE, FL – DECEMBER 06: Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10), and team owners Jose Mas, Jorge Mas and David Beckham celebrate with the MLS cup following the 2025 MLS Cup Finals between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami CF on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL. (Photo by Chris Arjoon\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He led the team to a Leagues Cup trophy in 2023, the MLS Supporters\u2019 Shield last year before a first-round playoff loss \u2014 and now, they grabbed MLS\u2019 biggest prize.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesMichael Pimentel\/ISI Photos\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF celebrate with his teammates for group photos with MLS Cup trophy after defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Michael Pimentel\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cLast year we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round,\u201d Messi said in Spanish afterward. \u201cThis year, winning MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort \u2014 it was a very long year, with many matches \u2014 and we were up to the task all season.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesMichael Pimentel\/ISI Photos\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF controls the ball away from Sebastian Berhalter #16 of Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the game at Chase Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Michael Pimentel\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

The latest: Sports coverage from WPBF 25 News<\/a><\/p>\n

Messi set up the title-clinching goal with a 72nd-minute assist to Rodrigo De Paul, a play where Messi stole the ball and threaded a pass through a tiny gap in a wall of Vancouver defenders. De Paul got it in stride, pushed it into the far corner of the net \u2014 and Messi went airborne to hop into his arms a few seconds later, all smiles.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesElsa\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami CF, celebrates after winning the Championship following the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

And as the final minutes ticked away, Inter Miami\u2019s pink-clad fans \u2014 most wearing Messi\u2019s No. 10 on their backs \u2014 stood and stomped and cheered. South Florida has seen NFL and NBA and Major League Baseball and NHL titles in the past.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesElsa\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Javier Mascherano, Head Coach of Inter Miami CF, celebrates winning the Championship after the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a soccer town now, too. Messi made that happen. Tadeo Allende scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time \u2014 off another Messi assist, of course<\/a> \u2014 to make it 3-1. And when Messi lifted the trophy surrounded by his teammates, confetti rained down and fireworks boomed.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesElsa\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Sir David Beckham, co-owner of Inter Miami CF, reacts after winning the Championship following the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was the dream,\u201d Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. \u201cA spectacular day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesEston Parker\/ISI Photos\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 6: Tadeo Allende #21 of Inter Miami CF eyes the ball during the second half of the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Eston Parker\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Inter Miami became the 16th franchise in the league\u2019s 30-year history to win an MLS title. And this extends a run of parity for MLS, which has seen five different franchises win championships in the last five years and eight franchises claim a title in the last nine seasons \u2014 only Columbus has won twice in that span.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FT.<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesIcon Sportswire\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFT. LAUDERDALE, FL – DECEMBER 06: Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) and Inter Miami midfielder Rodrigo de Paul (7) celebrate a goal and 3-1 lead in the second half during the 2025 MLS Cup Finals between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami CF on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, FL. (Photo by Peter Joneleit\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u201cThey said soccer would never make it in America,\u201d MLS Commissioner Don Garber said during the trophy ceremony. \u201cInter Miami fans, has soccer made it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesElsa\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Jordi Alba #18, Luis Su\u00e1rez #9 and Sergio Busquets #5 of Inter Miami CF celebrate the Championship win following the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It has, and the moment is also the culmination of a 12-year odyssey for David Beckham, part of Inter Miami\u2019s ownership group.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesEston Parker\/ISI Photos\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 6: Players and staff of Inter Miami CF celebrate the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Eston Parker\/ISI Photos\/ISI Photos via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

He retired as a player in 2013 and his MLS contract said he could start a franchise at a discounted rate when his career ended. Beckham chose Miami and it took him years to finally make it happen; it wasn\u2019t until January 2018 when the franchise was formally born, after he partnered with Miami businessmen Jorge Mas and Jose Mas, and even then the team didn\u2019t have a stadium plan.<\/p>\n

The team started play in 2020, and Messi arrived halfway through the 2023 season. Inter Miami was in last place in MLS at the time.<\/p>\n

Get the latest sports updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And then Messi arrived. The last-place team then now runs the league.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been an incredible journey,\u201d Beckham said.<\/p>\n

The trophy is Messi\u2019s 47th for club and country, extending his global men\u2019s soccer record, and some say it\u2019s actually 48 because MLS awards a trophy for winning conference titles as well. He\u2019s now won at least 21 titles in one-match final situations, many of them with the core of this team \u2014 Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano, his longtime Barcelona teammates.<\/p>\n

\t\t\"FORT<\/p>\n

\n\t\tGetty ImagesMaddie Meyer\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 06: Sergio Busquets #5 and Jordi Alba #18 of Inter Miami CF pose with a plaque and Jorge Mas, co-owner of Inter Miami CF, after their retirement announcement following the championship win in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 06, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Meyer\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Busquets and Alba are retiring and got to go out as champions. Suarez\u2019s future is uncertain. Mascherano is the coach now, one who changed Inter Miami\u2019s lineup and tactics halfway through the season \u2014 his first one leading the club \u2014 with this moment in mind.<\/p>\n

And the 38-year-old Messi, the 2024 MLS MVP who seems like a lock to win the award again this season, still is like none other in the biggest moments with a contract that could have him playing<\/a> with Miami into his early 40s. When next season starts, the team will be playing in a new stadium near Miami International Airport with a back-to-back title in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not just here to enjoy living in Miami,\u201d Beckham said. \u201cHis wife and the kids love Miami, but he\u2019s come here to win, and that\u2019s really what Leo is all about. He wants to win. He\u2019s got that dedication, the loyalty that he shows to his teammates, to the city, to the club. Leo is a winner. It\u2019s simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inter Miami went up 1-0 on an own goal in the eighth minute, before Vancouver tied it in the 60th on a score by Ali Ahmed. Another Vancouver shot hit both posts about two minutes later but stayed out, a huge moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was very close and I think it could have been different,\u201d Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen said. \u201cBut that is football.\u201d<\/p>\n

Said Mascherano: \u201cMaybe that was the luck we needed to be champions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not long after the final whistle, Messi went over to the Inter Miami supporters section and threw both his hands in the air. It was a moment 2 1\/2 years in the making. The team stayed on the field for more than an hour afterward, taking pictures with friends and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for,\u201d Messi said. \u201cIt\u2019s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Video above: High School football semifinals scores and highlights | Dec. 5Lionel Messi\u2019s legacy was long secured when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78537,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[24675,43975,249,251,250,11761,2457,10073,8003,14236,43973,10225,2295,43976,27823,807,2393,43974,9985,164],"class_list":["post-78536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-assist","tag-first-championship","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-franchise","tag-history","tag-inter-miami","tag-major-league-soccer","tag-messi","tag-messi-and-inter-miami-have-completed-their-journey-they-win-the-mls-cup","tag-mls-cup","tag-nba","tag-nhl-title","tag-rodrigo-de-paul","tag-south-florida","tag-time","tag-topping-vancouver-3-1","tag-vancouver","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78536","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78536"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78536\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78537"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78536"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78536"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78536"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}