Inter Miami 3-1 Vancouver Whitecaps Highlights, MLS Cup Final: Messi's Late Magic Seals Win In Alba, Busquets Farewell

This is the start of our live blog covering the MLS Cup 2025 final, with Inter Miami hosting Vancouver Whitecaps. With both clubs chasing a maiden MLS Cup triumph, this clash promises drama, history, and star power under the lights in Florida. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: Inter Miami vs Vancouver Whitecaps

• Venue: Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

• Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025

• Time: 1:00 AM IST (December 7)

• Live Streaming: Apple TV with MLS Season Pass

Starting XI: Rocco Rios Novo; Ian Fray, Maximiliano Falcon, Sergio Busquets, Noah Allen, Jordi Alba; Mateo Silvetti, Rodrigo de Paul, Baltasar Rodriguez; Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi (c).

Bench: Oscar Ustari (gk), Tomas Aviles, Gonzalo Lujan, Marcelo Weigandt, Yannick Bright, Telasco Segovia, Fafa Picault, Luis Suarez, Allen Obando.

Starting XI: Yohei Takaoka; Edier Ocampo, Tristan Blackmon, Ralph Priso, Mathias Laborda; Sebastian Berhalter, Andreas Cubas; Emmanuel Sabbi, Thomas Muller (c), Ali Ahmed; Brian White.

Bench: Isaac Boehmer (gk), Tate Johnson, Joederick Pupe, Jeevan Badwal, Kenji Cabrera, Jayden Nelson, Ryan Gauld, Daniel Rios, Rayan Elloumi.

• Matches played: 3

• Inter Miami wins: 1

• Vancouver Whitecaps wins: 2

• Draws: 0

These are the official MLS win probability for tonight's match:

• Inter Miami: 50.5%

• Draw: 23.4%

• Vancouver Whitecaps: 26.1%

Referee Drew Fisher blows his whistle, and Inter Miami get this year's MLS Cup final underway in Florida! For the first time ever, a World Cup winner will win the biggest prize on Major League Soccer. Stay tuned!

The first chance of the game, and it falls to Miami. It was a swift move from the Herons, with Messi playing to Allende who ends up having a shot from the edge of the box that flies over the bar, but it's not a million miles away. Postive start from the home side.

Not the most convincing display from Rios Novo. A long-range effort, which should have been a comfortable grab for the keeper, is instead somewhat cleared towards Allende, who concedes a handball. The resulting free-kick is straight at the Argentine goalkeeper.

Ocampo puts the ball in the back of his own net, and Miami take the lead. After some pressure from Vancouver, Miami try to counter quickly, with Messi and De Paul combining to lay the ball for Allende.

The forward runs with ball down the right flank before trying to cut it back for Messi, but Ocampo can't stop his momentum and the ball deflects off his body and past Takaoka.

The challenges are coming in thick and fast at the moment. A Whitecaps defender comes out with a kung-fu kick while challengeing for the ball. The referee waves it on, and Baltasar Rodriguez then concedes a late foul on Cubas. The referee shows him the first yellow of the game.

Much better from the Whitecaps. Cubas plays in a perfectly-weighted cross from the left. White outjumps his marker and gets a header on it, but it turns away from the goal and wide off the post.

Moments after Messi hit a free-kick from a dangerous area straight into the arms of the keeper, Vancouver counter with pace. Sabbi goes down after a challenge from Baltasar, but the referee and VAR both conclude that there was little contact between the players.

Miami look to counter through Messi, but the move fizzles out. Busquets looks to regain possession but he is late in his challenge on Berhalter. The Spaniard, playing his last professional game tonight, wags his finger in the referee's face and sees yellow.

Vancouver are enjoying a bit of the ball now and trying to push forward, but the game has turned a bit scrappy. Rodriguez concedes another foul on the flanks, and he is lucky that the referee did not think it was serious enough – the Miami player is already on a yellow.

Berhalter's ball into the box is cleared easily by the Herons defence.

How did Sabbi miss that?! That was the best chance of the game by far, but it goes begging. Berhalter's corner is not cleared properly, and the ball is played into the box agian by Ocampo. A lovely cushioned header sets up Sabbi, but he manages to hit Rios Novo's arm from point blank range.

Ocampo earns a yellow for a cynical foul, raising his shoulder to clatter against Rodriguez's chin. Meanwhile, the fourth official holds up his board to indicate a minimum of two minutes of added time.

That's the half-time at Chase Stadium. Miami have been a goal ahead since the eighth minute, and there have been a fair few decent chances since then, though neither side have been lethal in front of goal. A big, big second half awaits.

The referee blows his whistle, and Vancouver get the second half underway. The Canadian side have to chase the equaliser, although neither side have made any changes at the break.

Falcon checks the run of Ahmed, and the centre-back earns a yellow and gives away a free-kick in a dangerous area. Berhalter is the only one over the ball, and he opts for power. However, he gets a little too much under the ball, and it flies into the stands.

What a chance for Inter Miami to double their lead!! A superb cross from the left by Alba almost found the head of Silvetti, but Takaoka came out swinging to punch the ball away. It falls to Messi, who tries to head it over the host of bodies into the empty net, but it goes wide of the post.

Meanwhile, the first change of the night as Inter Miami bring on Telasco Segovia. Making the way is the already booked Baltasar Rodriguez.

Ahmed equalises for the Whitecaps, and the final match is game on!! The Canadian side build up brilliantly from the right, with Sabbi playing it to White. The forward holds up the ball and the rolls it into the path of Ahmed, who takes a powerful first time shot that finds the back of the net despite Rios Novo getting a powerful hand on it.

Oh. My. Goodness. Vancouver smell blood right now. It's a brilliant run from Sabbi, who cut inside before firing a lot shot that hit the inside of the far post before creeping out. The Whitecaps forward has another crack that deflects off Falcon and on to the post and out.

Whitecaps are on the ascendancy, and Jasper Sorensen make a double change. Club legend Ryan Gauld comes on for the goal scorer, Ali Ahmed. Joedrick Pope is on for Ralph Priso-Mbongue. Interestingly, Muller is still on the pitch.

Lionel Messi, you little magician!! The Argentine has been pretty anonymous tonight, but he needs just one moment to turn the game on its head.

Just when it looked like Miami's counter-attack came to an end, Messi robbed Cubas off the ball and then played a brilliant through pass to De Paul. The midfielder found the bottom corner with a composed finish against the run of play.

Cubas, who gave away posession to Messi for Miami's second goal, gets his stamp on the Argentine, but in an illegal way. He is miles late as he came sliding in, catching Messi badly and earning a deserved yellow. Messi, meanwhile, is getting some treatment from the physios.

Inter Miami earn a corner from Messi's free kick, who moments ago needed helping hands to get up following that nasty-looking tackle. It comes to nothing, though, and Vancounver win possession.

Mascherano makes his second change of the night. Silvetti comes off for Yannick Bright, with the manager looking to inject some fresh legs into the midfield. A gamble from the Argentine manager, considering Vancouver's tendency to overload the midfield.

With the minutes ticking away, the Whitecaps bring on their 22-year-old Peruvian summer signing Kenji Cabrera. Making the way is Cubas, who had his moments, but will have to take the lion's share of blame for Miami's second goal.

A corner for Vancouver is only partially cleared by Miami, who concede a foul near the midfield circle. The ball is then worked back into the Herons' box, and it falls to Sabbi, who blasts it miles over the bar from the outside of the box.

De Paul lands an elbow on Berhalter's, earning a yellow card in the process. The Argentine doesn't look to sad about it do, flashing a grin at his opponent. Meanwhile, Vancouver's Laborda earns a yellow as well for a late tackle to stop Segovia's run.

Changes for both sides, as the Whitecaps finally bring on Jayden Nelson in place of Sabbi. Inter Miami bring on Marcelo Weigandt, and hometown hero Fray walks off the pitch.

The fourth official holds up his board to indicate a minimum of SEVEN minutes to be added on to the end of the regulation 90 minutes. Seven more minutes for Inter Miami to hold on to secure their maiden MLS Cup title.

Allende seals the match, and the MLS Cup, for Inter Miami!!! With the Whitecaps committing numbers forward, they were caught short at the back as a long ball from Alba is deftly chested and lobbed – all in one action – by Messi, towards the run of Allende. The latter runs with the ball and finishes past a hapless Takaoka, and the entire Chase Stadium erupts in joy.

And tha's that!! Inter Miami have won the MLS Cup 2025!! Busquets has the last touch of the ball before the referee blows the final whistle, and the entire Miami team rushes out of the dugout in joy! What a way for Alba and Busquets to end their professional careers, and what a performance from Messi, who gets two assists to his name tonight.