*Goals: Messi 24', Casemiro 81'

Inter Miami secured their fourth consecutive title since Lionel Messi joined the club, defeating Cruz Azul 2-0 in the Campeones Cup final at Nu stadium on the evening of 16/9.

Lionel Messi (fourth from left) celebrates with teammates after defeating Cruz Azul in the Campeones Cup match at Nu stadium, Miami, Florida, US, on 16/9/2026. Photo: AP

Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a header from a Luis Suarez cross. This marked the Argentine forward's 100th goal for Inter Miami in 115 matches across all competitions. This particular goal came against Cruz Azul, the same opponent he scored his first goal against for the club.

In July 2023, Messi debuted for Inter Miami with a stoppage-time free-kick, leading his team to a 2-1 victory over Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. Over three years later, he scored against the Mexican opponent again to reach the 100-goal milestone for the American club.

This type of goal is not common in Messi's extensive collection. Out of his 929 career goals, Messi has scored only 32 with his head, accounting for 3%. However, this was not his first headed goal in a final; he previously scored one in Barcelona's 3-1 win over Man Utd in the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley.

Cruz Azul subsequently created several opportunities to equalize. Gabriel Fernandez headed the ball against the post, before Casemiro blocked Jose Paradela's follow-up shot. Inter Miami also nearly doubled their lead when defender Ditta cleared the ball off the goal line after Luis Suarez chipped it over goalkeeper Kevin Mier.

Early in the second half, Messi combined with Suarez again, putting the ball into Cruz Azul's net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Cruz Azul continued to press in an effort to level the match, but Inter Miami's defense held firm.

In the 81st minute, Messi made another significant impact, this time with a corner kick assist. Casemiro positioned himself well and leaped to head the ball past the Cruz Azul goalkeeper, sealing a 2-0 victory for Inter Miami. This was the Brazilian midfielder's fourth goal in his last five matches, all of which were headers.

Lionel Messi (right) dribbles as Carlos Rodriguez (left) defends during the first half of the Inter Miami versus Cruz Azul Campeones Cup match at Nu stadium, Miami, Florida, US, on 16/9/2026. Photo: AP

The Campeones Cup championship extends Inter Miami's streak of winning a title every season since Messi's arrival in Florida in mid-2023. Previously, the club won the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters' Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup.

The 2023 Leagues Cup marked Inter Miami's first title in their history. One year later, the team set an MLS record with 74 points in the regular season, securing the Supporters' Shield. In 2025, Inter Miami won their first MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in a match where Messi contributed two assists.

With this Campeones Cup victory, Inter Miami becomes the fourth MLS team to win the title, helping MLS match Liga MX's historical record in the competition, with four championships for each league.

For Messi, the title at Nu stadium is the 48th of his career. The 39-year-old forward's collection includes ten La Liga titles, four Champions League titles with Barcelona, two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, alongside the 2022 World Cup and two Copa America titles with the Argentina national team in 2021 and 2024, among other achievements.

Since transferring to Inter Miami, Messi has added four titles to his collection. The club has not experienced a season without winning a cup since his arrival.

The Campeones Cup is North America's Super Cup, held annually between the champions of MLS and Liga MX. Inter Miami competed in this match as the reigning MLS Cup champions from the previous season.

Hoang An