Messi: “I’ve waited three years for this moment”
Lionel Messi couldn’t hide his happiness after winning the MLS Cup — the most prestigious title in American soccer — with Inter Miami.
“Three years ago, I decided to come to the U.S., and today we are MLS champions,” Messi said after Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS Cup final on December 6. “Last year, we were knocked out early and eliminated in the first round. The whole team worked tirelessly through a very long season with so many matches, and we finally did it. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for over three years — and the moment the entire team has been waiting for. We deserve it.”
Earlier this season, Inter Miami lost both matches to the Vancouver Whitecaps — 2-0 and 3-1 — in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup (the North American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League). But in their rematch in the MLS Cup final, Javier Mascherano’s team got their revenge. Messi delivered a brilliant performance in the decisive match, contributing to all three goals and providing two assists. This marks the 48th trophy of his career — a world-record number in football history.
Messi celebrates the MLS Cup title at Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 6. Photo: AFP
During the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs alone, Messi recorded 15 direct goal contributions, shattering the previous record held by Ante Razov (10 goals and assists).
“He’s worked incredibly hard in recent matches, and it shows just how important this victory is to him,” Coach Mascherano said. “He came here to win this cup.”
The 3-1 result gives Inter Miami the first MLS Cup in club history, and their third trophy overall after the 2023 Leagues Cup and the 2024 Supporters’ Shield — all achieved after Messi’s arrival in July 2023. Prior to that, the young club (founded in 2018) had not been considered a major MLS contender.
The final also carried special significance, as it marked the last professional match in the careers of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba — Messi’s close friends and longtime teammates from Barcelona and Inter Miami.
“I’m happy for what we achieved, and especially for them — ending their careers this way is beautiful and absolutely deserved,” Messi said about Busquets and Alba. “Today closes a very special chapter, and I wish them the best — two friends I deeply cherish.”
Busquets (left) and Alba bid farewell to their careers after the final on December 6. Photo: Reuters
Together, Messi, Busquets, and Alba won a total of 19 official titles as teammates — most of them during their time at Barcelona from 2012 to 2021. This period included Barça’s second historic treble in the 2014–2015 season, capped by a Champions League title.
Of those 19 trophies, 16 were won at Camp Nou, demonstrating the trio’s near-total dominance in Spanish football. During that period, they were core members of a team that secured five La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey titles, along with the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.