It’s not something Major League Soccer would say out loud, of course, but it’s more than fair to believe that Don Garber & Co. are excited about Saturday’s MLS Cup game in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This is undoubtedly as close to a dream scenario as the longtime commissioner, his growing league and MLS’s broadcast partners could have concocted.
“A perfect final, in my opinion,” said Vancouver Whitecaps star Thomas Müller.
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“It will be a very, very special final,” said Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi.
It begins with Messi, the sport’s brightest star of this era and perhaps ever, leading Inter Miami to the final for the first time since his celebrated arrival in South Florida 2 1/2 years ago. It continues with his famous teammates and former FC Barcelona alumni – Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez – on a roster that has left playoff opponents in tatters.
For the first time in more than a year, Messi will play an MLS match on a standard broadcast as Fox joins Apple TV – the paid platform that owns the rights to all matches – for coverage of the championship.
There’s star power on the pitch too, with the Whitecaps, also first-time finalists, featuring Müller, the German icon who made a profound impact during his summer arrival in BC from Bayern Munich. Among his accomplices is Sebastian Berhalter, an American hope for the World Cup who emerges from the shadow of his father Gregg, the former American coach.
Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi celebrates after winning the MLS Eastern Conference Final. Will he lift another trophy after Saturday’s MLS Cup against the Vancouver Whitecaps?
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Fall one day later the draw for the 2026 World Cup in Washington – and the tournament schedule will be revealed Saturday at noon – the 2:30 p.m. ET final has the opportunity to capture the attention of a soccer world already focused on North American activities ahead of next summer’s competition at 16 venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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“I know the media and MLS are making their point with Messi, me and the biggest names,” Müller said, “but I think these are two teams that are really close… with a very attractive and beautiful style of play.”
This is the second time Messi and Müller have faced each other with a trophy on the line, more than 11 years after the 2014 World Cup final in Rio de Janeiro between Argentina and Germany. (Germany won 1-0 in extra time.) Their other nine meetings were in European club circles, six won by Müller’s team.
“It’s good that this final happened and we can face each other again,” Messi, who rarely gives interviews, said in a written statement distributed by MLS. “We know it will be a very, very difficult match. And the arrival of Müller in this team makes them even better” since his arrival mid-season.
“It’s always nice,” Müller said, “to meet old friends again.”
Argentina’s striker and captain Lionel Messi (L) and Germany’s striker Thomas Muller compete for the ball during the 2014 FIFA World Cup final soccer match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 13, 2014. Germany won 1-0.
(ODD ANDERSEN via Getty Images)
The addition of Müller brought not only a world-class player to Vancouver’s roster, but also a big personality in the locker room.
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“A few times we laughed at his jokes – maybe once or twice because they were funny,” Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen said with a smile.
The match will also mark the end of the legendary careers of Alba and Busquets.
A victory in Miami “would be great for me, for them, for everyone, right? said Messi, 38. “May they end their careers with a title and in the best way possible.”
Alba, 36, and Busquets, 37, are aiming for their 20th trophy as teammates.
“I’m grateful for the career I’ve had and the teams I’ve been a part of, and everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve enjoyed, it’s a privilege,” Alba said.
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“It’s a week with a lot of emotions knowing that it will be my last match… and I hope it will be on our side.”
Miami is very motivated after falling short of expectations the previous two seasons. Messi joined a struggling team at the end of the 2023 season and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Last year, after winning the Supporters’ Shield as the top team in the regular season, Miami lost to Atlanta in the first round.
This season, Miami ousted Nashville in the first round, winning a decisive third game with a score of 4-0. He then made it to a single-match round of 16 by beating host Cincinnati 4-0 and visiting New York City FC 5-1.
“They scored a lot of goals,” Müller said. “They scored a lot of fantastic goals.”
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There is no doubt that Miami is a favorite in the Finals after scoring a record 98 goals in the regular season and playoffs and a 21-4-4 record at home in all competitions, including 3-0-0 and a 12-2 goal differential in the playoffs. Messi’s 13 goals (six goals, seven assists) and Tadeo Allende’s eight goals are MLS playoff highs.
Vancouver, however, got the better of Miami in international competition, sweeping a two-legged CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal in April by an aggregate score of 5-1. “It stung,” Alba said.
Berhalter said, “These two games give us the confidence that we can go out there and do a good job, compete, work hard and get the job done.”
“They were better than us in April,” Miami coach Javier Mascherano said, “but this situation is not the same. … We come into the final with full confidence.”
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While the Whitecaps signed Müller during the summer transfer window, Miami signed midfielder Rodrigo De Paul, Messi’s colleague in the Argentine national team, from Atletico Madrid.
“It won’t be the same match,” Sorensen conceded.
In addition to Miami’s vaunted attack, the Whitecaps will have to deal with the heat of Florida.
“It’s been a while,” Sorensen said, “since I’ve worn sunscreen for a game.”
The heat, however, is most intense on Messi and Miami, whose famous wedding will reach its climax on Saturday.
“We hope it will be in our favor,” Messi said.
