For Inter Miami, it is the culmination of a transformative year. For Messi, it represents the closing of several personal eras. The match is the final one scheduled at the club’s temporary home before the team moves to its new stadium near Miami International Airport next season. It is also poised to be his last outing alongside longtime Barcelona teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, both of whom are set to retire after the final. Luis Suárez’s future remains uncertain as well.
Alba acknowledged the emotional weight of the moment as he prepares to end a decorated career. “It’s a week with a lot of emotions, knowing that it’s going to be my last game,” he said in Spanish on Thursday. “Hopefully, I end my career in the best possible scenario, in a final and we win.”
Messi’s legacy needs no enhancing. The Argentine star has already amassed a record 46 major trophies for club and country and is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time. The same applies to Müller, who won the 2014 World Cup final against Messi and Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano. But Saturday still offers a potential first for both players.
A Vancouver win would make Müller the first player to win both a World Cup and an MLS Cup. An Inter Miami victory would allow Messi, Busquets and teammate Rodrigo De Paul to claim the same dual distinction. “We are going to have four World Cup winners on the pitch,” Mascherano said. “It’s very, very interesting for the league.”
Müller, who has lifted more than 30 trophies for club and country, said he is fully focused on the moment. “At the moment, I rank it No. 1,” he joked when asked where an MLS Cup would fit in his career. “This final on Saturday is the most important thing in my life.” He then broke into laughter: “That’s a good line, ah?”
Despite the humor, both teams enter with the motivation and momentum befitting a final. Inter Miami have been dominant in the postseason, outscoring opponents 13–1 in three knockout matches and posting a 10-2-1 record over their last 13 outings. Vancouver, meanwhile, boast a strong defensive stretch, conceding just 17 goals in their last 17 MLS matches and going 7-1-5 in their last 13. They also beat Inter Miami twice this year in the CONCACAF Champions League, including a win in Miami back in April.
Mascherano acknowledged Vancouver’s earlier edge but insisted the context has changed. “They were much better than us in April,” he said. “But the situation is not the same. We arrive to this final with confidence, with some different players. And we know they have a very, very good team.”
History may offer Inter Miami an advantage: teams playing at home or in their home market have won 11 of the past 14 MLS Cups, with the three exceptions losing twice on penalties. Inter Miami have been formidable in front of their supporters, recording a 16-2-2 home record across all competitions since April.
Vancouver midfielder Sebastian Berhalter said his side won’t be intimidated by the setting. “The pressure, it comes with it. It’s a privilege,” he said. “Home team, away team, I don’t think it matters.”
Saturday’s final promises high-level football, star-laden storylines, and emotional farewells — with one club set to lift the MLS Cup for the very first time.