MLS Cup conquest caps Messi’s latest milestone year
The Argentinian won MLS, adding more silverware to his trophy cabinet and writing another glittering chapter of his storied legacy.
Messi and Inter Miami defeated Vancouver Whitecaps on 6 December to win MLS Cup
The Argentinian could claim another title on US soil in the FIFA World Cup 2026
He has already made a massive impact on the sport in the USA since arriving in July 2023
There has never been a year in Lionel Messi’s career in which he faded into the background. Not a single season has gone by without milestones reached, trophies lifted and dreams fulfilled. This year has been no exception for the Albiceleste captain, even if it has been different in some respects.
In July 2023, Messi joined Inter Miami intent on not only making waves on the pitch, but also championing the beautiful game and leaving his footprint on US sporting culture, as well as potentially putting down roots for the future. La Pulga has since added new records to his many other accolades, in addition to clinching the highest honour in Major League Soccer, MLS Cup.
The Florida franchise has made Messi their undeniable poster boy, recently announcing that he has renewed his contract until at least 2028. The evergreen veteran’s Miami adventure also provides him with an ideal platform to go on to dazzle at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on American soil, although he has yet to confirm his participation. So far, the long-term plan has played out to perfection.
Messi wasted no time in becoming the top scorer in Inter Miami’s brief history and in delivering the club’s first pieces of silverware in the form of the MLS Supporters’ Shield and the Leagues Cup. The attacker followed that up this year by once again shining on all fronts, including at the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup™, in which he helped his side to advance from a group also containing Porto, Palmeiras and Al Ahly before they were humbled by Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain.
In the league, meanwhile, his 29-goal haul earned him the MLS Golden Boot, which he added to a second consecutive award for MLS Most Valuable Player (MVP). Previous illustrious winners of the award include LA Galaxy’s Robbie Keane in 2014, New York City’s David Villa in 2016 and LAFC’s Carlos Vela in 2019.
“Thank you very much for this award,” said Messi on accepting his MVP prize. “It’s been a long year, with many matches and a lot of travel, but also a historic year for the club, as it’s the first time we’ve been crowned MLS champions. It’s a great club that’s just getting going, and being able to achieve what we did was wonderful and very special. I think the fans really enjoyed it too.”
He claimed two assists in MLS Cup, which his side won 3-1 against Vancouver Whitecaps. In the process, he and the Floridians made amends for the heartache endured last term, when they delivered a practically flawless regular-season campaign but lost out 3-2 on aggregate to Atlanta United in the first round of the play-offs.
Off the pitch, Messi’s move across the Atlantic was widely viewed as a cultural watershed, underscoring football’s growing prominence in a country whose sports scene has long been dominated by basketball, baseball and American football.
“Messi’s influence shows in the growing number of academies,” Argentina legend Mario Kempes, who has called the USA home for more than 15 years, told FIFA. “The biggest improvement has come at youth level, where kids can now look up to the best player in the world here and relate to him.”
“Messi has made a massive mark, just as he always does," said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano. "Every step that he takes in his career has a huge impact because he’s the best, and MLS has benefited. Our club and league are known all over the world and that’s in no small part down to Leo."
By inspiring his side to MLS Cup glory, Messi helped Inter Miami to become the 16th club on the competition’s roll of honour, which is headed by six-time winners LA Galaxy. In their pursuit of success, the Herons have surrounded the No10 with many familiar faces who are top players in their own right. These include his former Barça team-mates Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Luis Suarez, as well as his fellow Argentina international Rodrigo De Paul – previously a regular starter for Atletico Madrid – whose addition six months ago has been instrumental in enabling the team to dictate games.
Although it all began in Rosario, Barcelona was where Messi built his kingdom. In Spain, the pint-sized star won the lot time and again, but that chapter of his story eventually had to end. In the French capital, where he plied his trade for PSG, he mustered up moments of brilliance and found himself on the brink of yet more landmark achievements without ever quite getting over the line. In Miami, he appears to have rediscovered himself. The ‘Little Magician’ arrived to the USA to conjure up something special and, this year, he has yet again cast his spell over an entire nation.