Messi Scores and Assists in Campeones Cup Win

Lionel Messi had just delivered another trophy. Then the real drama started.

Inter Miami’s captain scored one and set up another in a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul on Wednesday to secure the Campeones Cup, but the post-match celebrations took an unexpected turn when Messi and MLS commissioner Don Garber appeared to engage in a heated exchange on the field.

Messi and Garber in tense post-match moment

As the Associated Press reported, Messi pointed at Garber several times as the pair spoke after the final whistle. The Argentine initially gestured toward the commissioner, then walked away. Moments later, cameras caught him doing it again as they continued to interact.

The scene stood out on a night that should have been all about silverware. Neither Inter Miami nor MLS offered any comment on the incident, leaving only the images of Messi’s pointed finger and Garber’s composed response to fuel speculation.

A milestone night on the pitch

On the field, Messi was ruthless.

He opened the scoring in the first half with his 100th career goal for Inter Miami, another landmark in a spell that has rapidly rewritten the club’s record book. The finish set Miami on its way and forced Cruz Azul to chase the game.

The pressure told again after the break. Messi drifted into space, picked his spot and whipped in a cross that Casemiro met with a firm header to make it 2-0. The goal gave Miami breathing room and effectively killed off Cruz Azul’s hopes of a comeback.

By the final whistle, Messi had a goal, an assist and another trophy to his name.

Inter Miami’s growing trophy haul

The Campeones Cup now joins an increasingly crowded cabinet in Miami.

Messi and Inter Miami lifted the Leagues Cup in 2023, then followed it up with the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup in 2025. The club that once chased relevance now stacks titles, driven by the presence of one of the game’s greatest players.

And the hunt is far from over.

MLS Cup race still wide open

Inter Miami sits second in the Eastern Conference on 45 points, nine behind Nashville SC in the race for the No. 1 seed. A clash between those two in the Eastern Conference Final would hardly shock anyone at this stage.

If that matchup comes, it will carry the weight of a budding rivalry and the shadow of Messi’s influence. Every playoff bracket, every projection, starts with the same assumption: if Messi is on the pitch, Miami can beat anyone.

Another trophy is already in the bag. The question now is how many more this version of Inter Miami can collect before the Messi era fades.