Key events
With that, we say goodbye to the 30th season of Major League Soccer, which is about 27 more than the naysayers expected. Thanks for following us today. Check back for more analysis.
David Beckham: “This is a moment that I will treasure forever… Back in 2013, I promised that we would invite the best players.”
He also praises Vancouver and admits he was a little nervous when the Whitecaps tied the game and nearly took the lead.
Peter O notes (where have you been?): “As a Galaxy fan, I don't care who wins, but I'm rooting for Vancouver. I admire the Barca Alumni Club as players, but the Miami model they've deployed is… MLS In my humble opinion, this is more self-serving than beneficial to the league. Having said that, I wouldn't begrudge Messi Inc. another trophy: the FIFA Pink Trophy.”
Kurt Perleberg wants to know if Miami will sign Cristiano Ronaldo next. Yes.
As mentioned at the beginning, there have been some great players coming into the game. MLS and either struggled or simply didn't have a team around them that could lift trophies. But no one was as great as Messi. And no one around him had a better team, full of Argentines and other players with world-class careers, as well as complementary players who mesh exceptionally well together.
Inter Miami won the 2025 MLS Cup final
Alba cried after the decisive goal. An emotional day for some legendary players.
The scoreline flattered Inter as Vancouver held the advantage for about 60 minutes. But you just can't give Messi the chance to give his teammates one-on-one opportunities. And you must finish. The shot that hit both posts – a shot that would have given Vancouver a 2-1 lead – will be a heartbreaking memory for Whitecaps fans.
Gooooooooooo! Miami – Vancouver 3:1 (Allende 90+6)
And Javier Mascherano pulls out Jurgen Klopp, who runs onto the pitch to celebrate the victory.
Alba passes the ball forward to Messi, who controls the ball skillfully and passes it forward to Allende, who times his run perfectly and converts. It's over.
90 min +6: Segovia dives unconvincingly but rises again to help Miami regain the ball as the Whitecaps chase desperately.
90 min +5: Another direct blow to the Whitecaps and they lose again. Miami takes the lead and Berhalter commits an unnecessary foul. He gets yellowand Miami can kill time.
90 min +4: This is as nervous as I've ever seen David Beckham, co-owner of Miami.
90 min +3: Messi is about 80 yards offside. The flag is rising.
Vancouver goes straight, too aimless. More calm is needed here.
90 min +2: Messi and Berhalter chase the ball and Berhalter falls. He slows down but maintains possession of the ball. As a result, oddly enough, an unsuccessful pass from Busquets.
90 min +1: Nelson will replace Subby in Vancouver. In Miami, Weygandt will replace the limping Ian Frey.
Seven minutes of added time.
90 min: Someone in the crowd makes a very loud whistle.
Blackmon is back.
Vancouver plays in the penalty area. Alba is cleansed. His last game.
89 min: Vancouver is currently playing with 10 men because Tristan Blackmon is out for medical treatment and will not be allowed back in yet.
88 min: We say, “Could you please put the ball back in play before the referee adds 20 minutes?” game phase.
86th minute: Yellow – De Paul after an altercation in midfield.
Miami is now four minutes plus stoppage time away from winning 2-1.
Yellow Laborde after Segovia was knocked to the ground by a Vancouver player.
84 min: Good shot from Rios Novo but Messi controls the ball and Miami tries to break free and it will be a free kick for Whitecaps. They take their time and try to catch Miami napping, and this is a nervous moment for Inter.
83 min: Vancouver will finally get a corner. Berhalter will accept it.
82 min: Cabrera will replace Cubas in Vancouver.
81 min: Segovia puts pressure, but breaks the rules. Whitecaps regain possession. But Miami's midfielders aren't as passive as they used to be, and Vancouver's passes won't get them anywhere.
80 min: There is now a battle of turnovers, lowering the passing percentages for both teams.
78 min: Substitute in Miami – Bright for Silvetti.
77 min: Another coup in Vancouver. They were better for the most part, but suffered greatly due to a couple of mistakes.
76 min: Miami doesn't do much with the corner, but they retain possession and that's better than a low-percentage shot.
75 min: Messi's free kick is probably too far to shoot. But this is a dangerous ball, and White heads it to… get it… first corner kick of the game.
73 min: De Paul and Messi are long-time teammates on the national team. This combination is not a surprise.
Now Messi has fallen after a rough foul from a frustrated Cubas, who received yellow.
Andol! Miami-1 Vancouver (De 71, Paul 71)
And that's how the game changes. Messi carefully takes the ball from Cubas and passes it to De Paul, who goes one on one with the goalkeeper. A simple finish at the far post.
70 min: Coup in Miami and break in Vancouver. Miami's defenders return to their position and again bend back without pressing. You would think the younger Whitecaps would be favored in extra time.
68 min: Substitutions for Vancouver: Gold replaces scorer Ahmed and Poupet replaces Priso. Poupé did not appear on the field after signing his contract at the end of the regular season and played four minutes in the playoffs. No pressure.
Priso sits down for Vancouver. The Whitecaps have lined up a number of changes but can now wait to see if he can continue.
66 min: Another smart combination from Whitecaps ends with Ahmed losing his balance. Miami started to make their way the other way, but Blackmon was alert… fouled. Yellow.
65 min: Busquets wins the aerial battle and saves Berhalter's free kick.
64 min: Free kick for Vancouver with a handball, and after the whistle we have a confusion of bodies.
62 min. OFF BOTH POSTS! Subby gets caught inside one pillar and it flies over another. Falcon interferes with the rebound and hits the post again.
Vancouver in championship form is here.
Gooooooooo!!!! Miami – Vancouver 1:1 (Ahmed 60)
The ball is passed to White, who attracts a lot of attention and spots Ahmed across the top of the box. Ahmed shoots just wide of the post, surprising Rios Novo. The Miami goalie gets some of the hit, but the ball goes over the line.
Has the game started? The game has begun!
59 min: Vancouver had a passing play, but they just couldn't finish it.
Vancouver keeps getting closer.
58 min: Muller blocks the shot. Berhalter is somewhere in this area. For some reason, Messi goes with the ball in the other direction. More bodies on the lawn. We're here at great speed.
Ben Morton writes: “This is my first MLS the game, the incredible energy of the players and the great atmosphere in the stadium, transmitted through the screen. Absolutely convincing. I hope to see Messi lift the cup. Although it feels like someone might be given a red card…”
My money's on the Falcon.
56 min: CHANCE for Miami! Alba sends in a dangerous cross that goes wide but not too far and Messi has a free header from 15 yards that goes just wide.
Substitution: Segovia replaces Rodriguez.
53 min: Another free kick in Vancouver as Allen tries to fight Ocampo. Next to the hash mark marking the distance of 10 yards from a corner kick. Tough angle, nothing comes out.
But Ahmed catches the ball and storms menacingly through the Miami defense before giving the ball away. The Vancouver forward asks some questions to the veteran Miami defenseman.
51 minutes: Vancouver succeeded unencumbered by any pressure from Miami.
And… oh my God… Ahmed just fell right in the penalty area. The falcon barks at him as he stands up. It's probably not a foul or a jump – just accidental contact.
50 min: And now someone in the stands can claim that he was almost brought down by Sebastian Berhalter's free kick.
48 min: Ahmed rushes past Falcon, who responds by knocking him down. Fischer responds with a yellow card and Sebastian Berhalter can imagine his chances from here.
47 min: You know what I hate as a judge? People whine about who should have the ball after it's out of play when we're all covered up and can't see who had it last. It's a throw-in or corner, not Messi's 22-yard free kick.
Speaking of free kicks from 22 yards…
Second half is underway. It looks like most of the crowd is queuing for concessions or to go to the bathroom.
MLS the site reports that Vancouver had 58.23% of possession. They had 250 assists to Miami's 149. And they committed 14 fouls to Miami's 10.
Halftime: Miami – Vancouver 1:0
If you watched the Messi vs Muller match, you may be disappointed. But instead we have a pulsating finale with an early goal to open things up.
45 min +2: This is on the network – its upper part. The flag will still rise.
But the good news for Miami is that they survived the Vancouver hurricane.
45 min +1: Silvetti falls to the lawn and tries to remember which part of his body he says was damaged in the collision. He receives a call. Seems suspicious.
Free kick for Miami, but probably outside Messi's shooting range.
45 minutes: from Yellow to Ocampo for throwing his body in front of Rodriguez and the ball going out of bounds. The Vancouver defender remembered the incomplete one.
42 min: Now it's one way traffic. Miami can't sniff the ball.
41 minutes: JUMPING SAVE Rios Novo, who almost falls over his line with the ball, but carefully leans forward and keeps the ball close to goal.
38 min: SAVING IN RESONANCE Rios Novo after Whitecaps sent the ball into the penalty area from a free kick Muller. Ahmed had the goal at his mercy, but fired it straight into the Miami goalie's chest.
36 min: Everyone seems to be mad at our referee Drew Fisher. Perhaps they should stop bumping into each other and/or falling over at the slightest touch.
Vancouver gets a free kick, but the players just fall like dominoes in the penalty area.
Now another free kick, and the Miami player risks getting carded by stealing the ball as Fisher approaches.
Yellow to someone on the Miami bench. This is not head coach Javier Mascherano.
35 min: You know who barely touched the ball in this game? It would be Thomas Muller.
34 min: CHANCE for Vancouver, when White heads a free kick, but it's definitely in Rios Nova.
