On Saturday night, Lionel Messi added another chapter to his great career when he led Inter Miami to their first title in club history with a penalty shootout victory over Nashville SC in the Leagues Cup final. The Argentine legend struck a spectacular free kick in the 87th minute to cancel out Sam Surridge's opener and send the game to penalty kicks, where he later scored the game-winning goal to give his MLS team the victory.
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Messi scored the opening goal of the match in the 23rd minute with a trademark left-footed finish. | Credit: @B/RFootball. | Source: Twitter[/caption]
Messi, who moved to Inter Miami from Paris Saint-Germain in July 2023, has been outstanding in the Leagues Cup. He has scored 10 goals in 7 games, earning him the Golden Boot and the Most Valuable Player titles.
On top of that, the Argentine surpassed Rodolfo Pizarro and Gonzalo Higuan, who each scored nine goals for Inter Miami, to
become the club's third all-time leading scorer in just seven games.
Aside from Messi's individual heroics, Inter Miami also made history by being the first team to win the Leagues Cup. The Leagues Cup was a Concacaf-owned tournament in which all 47 teams from North America's top divisions (in Canada, Mexico, and the United States) competed in a World Cup-style club tournament; the winner and the runners-up advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup 2024.
Inter Miami's First-Ever Leagues Cup Triumph
Before Messi's debut, Inter Miami was widely considered to be one of the worst clubs in Major League Soccer (MLS). However, after Messi's arrival, Inter Miami shocked the football world by advancing to the MLS Cup semifinals, where they defeated Cruz Azul, Atlanta United, Orlando City, FC Dallas (on penalties), Charlotte FC, and Philadelphia Union.
With Messi on board, the club has won six straight games, including a penalty shootout victory over FC Dallas, and is now in last place in the MLS Eastern Conference. Considering they are now in last place in the MLS standings with only 18 points after 22 games, Inter Miami's Leagues Cup victory is a remarkable accomplishment.
Along with Nashville SC, who took second place, they also ensured their first-ever participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Messi's Achievement with the Win
Messi's penalty not only won the Leagues Cup for Inter Miami, but also made him the most decorated footballer of all time. He now has
44 professional trophies, passing former Barcelona teammate, Dani Alves, who had 43. Messi’s trophy haul includes:
- 10 La Liga titles
- 4 Champions League titles
- 3 FIFA Club World Cup titles
- 2 French Ligue 1 titles
- 1 World Cup title
- 1 Copa América title
- He also has 7 Ballon d’Or awards
- 3 The Best FIFA Men’s Player awards
- 22 Golden Boot awards to his name
- 1 Leagues Cup title, among others.
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Messi: The most decorated footballer of all time. | Credit:B/RFootball[/caption]
Concacaf president Victor Montagliani and Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber presented Messi with the Leagues Cup trophy. Together with his teammates, he hoisted it into the air to commemorate a momentous victory. Messi also received the Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards for his outstanding tournament performance.
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The Leagues Cup final was a historic and exciting match that fans will talk about for years to come. It was a display of Messi's brilliance and Inter Miami's ascent to prominence. While the first Leagues Cup had come to a close, a new era had begun for Inter Miami and MLS.
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