Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi delivers title to South Florida while Vancouver Whitecaps regret missed chances: Winners and Losers of the 2025 MLS Cup

Sometimes the narrative just has to win. Messi had one of those late-career Messi games. 

For long stretches, you barely noticed him, and he was rarely involved. He spent most of his time strolling around and shielding passing lanes as Vancouver controlled possession. However, there were two decisive moments in the game, and Messi set up both. He was instrumental in the first goal with his shuffle and through ball to Allende. He set up the second with a silly feed. And he provided the pass for the killer third, too. It was his 63rd goal contribution for Miami this season. This was major trophy number 48, and it wasn't the easiest. Vancouver made it tough. But it is the Argentine's prerogative to decide games. And he managed to make that happen yet again. 

Football can be so, so cruel. Ocampo has been the model of consistency for the Whitecaps this season, playing almost every game and being just about as solid a full back as MLS can offer. He keeps it tidy, seldom makes mistakes, and offers stability for a well-balanced side. But finals are decided in moments, and Ocampo was on the wrong end of two of them. The obvious slip-up was his ill-timed dart across the box to cover Allende's pass. Instead of cutting it off, he deflected the ball into his own net. He was also slightly culpable on the Miami third, failing to hold the defensive line and allowing Allende to run in behind and seal the game for good. One to forget, on the biggest of stages. 

He's always been far more than just "Messi's bodyguard." De Paul has far more attacking quality and soccer smarts than he gets credit for. That is partially, of course, because his role is so distilled to the idea of simply protecting Miami's main man. Yet De Paul showed off all sides of his game here. This was a scrappy one, full of hard tackles that didn't get called, and cheeky shoves that did. De Paul was up for both. He kept his composure on the ball, sprayed it around when needed, and, crucially, scored the winning goal.

But more valuable than all of that, perhaps, were the seconds squeezed out of the game in between. He stayed down for a few extra moments after every heavy challenge. He took his time on throw-ins. He picked up - and then miraculously recovered from - a series of injuries over the course of the 90 minutes. De Paul is always the unsung hero. Today felt more like main character energy. 

How things can change in a year. This time in 2024, the Whitecaps had fired a popular coach in Vanni Sartini and were in the process of selling the team. This was a broken side dealing with rumors of a potential relocation. Yet the Whitecaps rallied, generated a real energy behind a city that seemed to have forgotten, at times, that it has a soccer team. They made it to multiple finals and the fanbase was reinvigorated once again. Then the club was buoyed by the arrival of a global star in Thomas Muller. 

This is, in fact, a bit cruel. The Whitecaps gave pretty much everything for their city. Canadian soccer still deserves its third MLS club. Yet the team is for sale; their lease at BC Place is up. Vancouver certainly has enough passion to embrace a team. This one just might not be around for much longer. 

There you go, Sir David Beckham. This is a culmination for him, too.

When Beckham signed with LA Galaxy in 2007, his deal came with an unprecedented stipulation: he would receive the rights to an MLS club at a bargain price. That club ended up being in Miami, and with Beckham’s star power, expectations were immediate. They were going to be a club that competed for MLS Cups.

Last year was a year too soon. Miami were flawed. They were exposed and deservedly bounced from the playoffs.

But they retooled. And even if Messi is the face of this project on the pitch, Beckham is the global figure behind it all. He has always insisted that his Miami should compete for the biggest trophies, and be in contention every season.

He cried on the pitch when Miami lifted Leagues Cup in 2023. This time, he beamed through his full-time interview. Beckham has always dreamed of an MLS Cup in Miami, for the franchise he owns.

This season, that dream finally came true as he's won MLS's biggest prize both as a player and now as an owner. 

Muller is one of the few players out there to have a winning record against Messi. Heading into Saturday's game, the great German was 7-3 when he faced off against the Argentine for club and country. There is no such thing as kryptonite for Messi, but Muller might be as close as it comes. Yet he went missing as his side toiled. He spent more time gesticulating and shouting than impacting the play, coming up short in key moments and fluffing one or two half-chances. 

In fairness, Miami defended him excellently. Sergio Busquets squeezed all of those tiny spaces that he so often sneaks into. Maxi Falcon barely gave him a second on the ball. But Muller is supposed to be the orchestrator in chief for the Whitecaps. Here, he was an angry German man, flailing his arms and then, at the end, wondering where it all went wrong.