December 07, (THEWILL) — Inter Miami claimed their maiden MLS Cup title on Saturday with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Chase Stadium. Rodrigo De Paul struck the decisive goal in the 71st minute after Lionel Messi forced a turnover and delivered a precise pass that left the Argentine midfielder with a simple finish.
Messi, though not among the scorers himself, proved instrumental in all three Miami goals. The World Cup winner set up Tadeo Allende early on, whose cross resulted in an own goal from Edier Ocampo after eight minutes. Deep into stoppage time, Messi provided another assist for Allende, who netted his ninth goal of the playoffs to set a new record.
Vancouver fought back through Ali Ahmed in the second half, whose effort struck the post before crossing the line to level the contest. Emmanuel Sabbi came agonisingly close to giving the Whitecaps the lead moments later, his shot hitting both posts without going in. That miss proved costly when De Paul struck shortly afterwards.
The match marked the final appearances for Miami legends Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, both of whom announced their retirements ahead of the campaign. The 37-year-old Busquets earned his 33rd career trophy, whilst 36-year-old Alba added another honour to his decorated résumé. Both former Barcelona team-mates helped transform Miami into a competitive force following their arrivals in summer 2023.
Messi finished the contest with two assists, bringing his playoff tally to 15 goal contributions across six matches. The 37-year-old registered 23 assists throughout the regular campaign, the highest total in MLS this season. His creative output in front of a capacity crowd delivered the trophy Miami had pursued since signing their star-studded roster.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
