With his 100th goal for Inter Miami, Messi leads the club to its first Champions Cup title

With his 100th goal and another assist, Lionel Messi led Inter Miami to a 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul on Wednesday and to their first Campeones Cup title, the annual showdown between the champions of the MLS and Liga MX.

Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami during the successful debut of his compatriot Cristian "Kily" González on the Herons' bench.

The Argentine star reached the 100-goal mark unexpectedly in the 24th minute with a powerful header, and in the 81st minute, he took the corner kick that set up Brazilian Casemiro to seal the victory at Nu Stadium in Miami.

Messi, 39, added to his unrivaled trophy collection with a victory he happily celebrated alongside his teammates in the pouring rain at Miami.

The joy for the captain comes after several painful weeks in which he suffered the defeat of Argentina in the 2026 World Cup final and the death of his father.

"We have to enjoy this because we don't know how long we'll have it," Casemiro said about Messi in remarks to Apple TV.

"What he's done—and continues to do—for soccer is incredible. He's still the best—he proved it at the World Cup and continues to prove it in the MLS," emphasized the former Real Madrid midfielder, the latest "Galáctico" to join the franchise co-owned by David Beckham.

"We all know Leo; he's a great player (but) our game plan was to focus on the opponent's offense, not just him," said Cruz Azul coach Joel Huiqui, lamenting his players' lapses in concentration.

"It's a tough blow for us, but I remain confident that we have a great roster," said the coach of La Máquina Celeste, who had already lost the 2021 edition to the Columbus Crew.

Messi's header

Messi's goal came from a run by his Uruguayan teammate Luis Suárez down the right flank and a dangerous cross into the Cruz Azul box.

The Argentine, coming in from behind, leaped into the air, surprising Colombian center back Willer Ditta—who was ten centimeters taller—to head the ball into the back of the net.

It was his 100th goal in the 115 games he has played for Inter Miami in all competitions.

In addition to scoring with a header—one of his less common skills—Messi's goal was notable for coming against Cruz Azul, the very same team against which he scored his first goal while wearing the pink jersey.

In that memorable debut with the Herons, Messi scored a free kick in stoppage time that sealed a Leagues Cup group stage match.

In that same tournament, Messi led Inter Miami to its first-ever title, a record he added to with the 2024 Supporters' Shield and last year's MLS championship.

MLS ties the record

Messi found the back of the net against Cruz Azul again on a solo run early in the second half, but the goal was ruled offside.

In the 67th minute, Uruguayan Gabriel Fernández headed the ball off the post for Inter in one of the few times La Máquina threatened Canadian goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

The decisive goal also came from Messi's magical left foot, who took a precise corner kick that Casemiro, after shaking off his defender, finished unmarked.

With this Inter victory, the MLS and the Liga MX are tied at four wins in the Campeones Cup standings, a competition launched in 2018 as part of the fierce soccer rivalry between the neighboring leagues.

Tigres, the only team with two titles (2018 and 2023), América (2024), and Toluca (2025) have won for Liga MX, while Atlanta United (2019), Columbus Crew (2021), New York City (2022), and Miami (2026) have kept the trophy in the United States.

With information from AFP