FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Lionel Messi’s legacy was long secured when he came to Inter Miami and joined Major League Soccer.

He’d won a World Cup, won dozens of trophies, was generally considered the greatest player in the sport’s history.

He didn’t need an MLS Cup.

But he wanted one — and got it.

Messi and Inter Miami have completed their ascent, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday in the MLS Cup final for the franchise’s first championship. It came 2 1/2 years after the legend arrived in South Florida, a move that stunned plenty of onlookers at the time.

Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF celebrates winning the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Final match between Inter Miami CF and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Chase Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Getty Images

He set

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