Messi’s Inter Miami chase MLS title in final against Vancouver Whitecaps | OneFootball

Two years of magic, packed stadiums, and countless goals will culminate this Saturday for Lionel Messi in his long-awaited first MLS final, where Inter Miami has much more than just a title at stake.

The ambitions of the young franchise, never hidden by David Beckham and the rest of the management, largely depend on a victory this Saturday against the Vancouver Whitecaps, in a final that will be played in front of their home crowd at Chase Stadium, at 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

A win would fulfill the promise of conquering North American soccer made by the Miami team in 2023 when they signed the most popular player on the planet.

It would also be a golden farewell for Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, Messi’s teammates in an American adventure marked more by disappointments than triumphs in the quest for titles.

Without the Spanish stars, who will hang up their boots after the final, Inter Miami will begin a new era in 2026 with a new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, which they hope to inaugurate with their Argentine captain lifting the championship trophy.

This victorious vision, however, could be seriously jeopardized if the Vancouver Whitecaps and their new leader, German Thomas Muller—an expert at spoiling Messi’s big nights—are the ones celebrating on Saturday.

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In that scenario, Inter Miami would end a second consecutive year without adding any trophies to their collection, which currently only includes the 2023 Leagues Cup, and would hardly recover their $50 million investment in salaries (R$ 272 million at the current exchange rate), by far the highest payroll in the league and about $30 million (R$ 163 million) more than the modest Vancouver Whitecaps.

The pressure has already taken its toll on Inter in the Leagues Cup final in August against the Seattle Sounders, when Luis Suárez and other players got into a heated argument with rivals after a resounding 3-0 defeat.

Battle of Champions

The reunion between Messi and Müller adds even more drama to the most anticipated final in recent MLS history, just six months before the World Cup arrives in North America.

The former Bayern Munich striker, who arrived in Vancouver in August, played a part in the greatest disappointment of Messi’s glorious career: Germany’s victory over Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final.

The German also shone, scoring two goals, in Bayern’s humiliating 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona—which featured Messi, Alba, and Busquets—in the 2020 Champions League.

Muller makes the Vancouver Whitecaps an even greater threat, a team that, before his arrival, had already comfortably beaten Inter in both legs of the Concacaf Champions League semifinals.

“We know it will be a very tough match, and the fact that Müller has joined this team makes everything even better. He brings more prestige and makes the game better,” Messi himself said on Thursday, in statements released by MLS. “It’s great that this final is happening and that we can face each other again.”

The presence of Müller for Vancouver and Messi, Busquets, and Rodrigo De Paul for Inter ensures that a World Cup winner will be crowned MLS champion for the first time this Saturday.

Mascherano finds the formula

The German, who has been dealing with a calf injury, is living up to expectations at 36, with eight goals in 11 games.

Messi’s level, however, remains unmatched in this league, even at 38.

The number 10 won his first MLS Golden Boot, with 29 goals in 28 games, and is the favorite to repeat as MVP (Most Valuable Player).

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In the playoffs, he carried Inter on his back with six goals in five knockout games.

With Messi’s competitive spirit intact, Inter Miami found their best form at the end of this season thanks to several bold decisions by coach Javier Mascherano, especially putting Suárez on the bench in favor of Argentine prospect Mateo Silvetti.

With the speedy Silvetti and the inspired Tadeo Allende making the most of Messi’s passes, Inter Miami reached the final by winning their last three games by a four-goal margin.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.