Inter Miami defeated Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 MLS Cup final, with Lionel Messi providing the key assist for Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende scoring the third goal to seal a thrilling 3-1 victory.
Inter Miami came into the final full of confidence after their dominant 5–1 win over New York City in the Eastern Conference Final, a match where their attack looked unstoppable from the opening whistle.
Conversely, Vancouver approached their journey with confidence after beating San Diego 3–1 to clinch the Western Conference title, demonstrating that they are worthy of this level.
The Whitecaps have demonstrated resilience, adaptability, and a competitive spirit in each playoff stage.
With Thomas Muller leading the offense, they will not be daunted by the moment.
Inter Miami broke the deadlock in the opening 10 minutes with an own goal after a move started by Messi at the halfway line, eventually capped off thanks to a fortunate bounce off Vancouver defender Édier Ocampo.
Vancouver should have leveled the score after a point-blank chance fell to Emmanuel Sabbi at the back post, but the Miami keeper came up huge to keep his side in the lead as we inch towards halftime.
However, Vancouver restored parity before the hour mark through Ali Ahmed after a series of pressure on Miami.
15 minutes later, a bad giveaway by Vancouver allowed Messi to play in Rodrigo De Paul, and the Argentine slotted home to put the hosts back in the lead.
Muller’s Vancouver struggled to find their footing as the game moved into the final 10 minutes of regular time.
Their woes were compounded after Tadeo Allende put Miami two goals up deep into stoppage time, wrapping up the victory for the home side.
The 3-1 win over Vancouver made Inter Miami MLS Cup champions for the first time in the club’s history.
