When Lionel Messi arrived in Florida in 2023, the question was whether he could turn a club without major honors into a champion. On December 6, 2025, Inter Miami responded.
They beat Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3–1 at Chase Stadium to win their first MLS Cup, with Messi making two assists and taking home the finals MVP award.
Messi, Miami and a historic first title
Miami’s win over Vancouver capped a demanding campaign under Javier Mascherano. Vancouver controlled long spells and equalized in the second half through Ali Ahmed, but Messi had already helped set up an own goal and later set up Rodrigo De Paul and Tadeo Allende for the goals that decided the final.
It served as Chase Stadium’s farewell before the move to Miami Freedom Park and a final MLS appearance for Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets. For supporters and punters, it was also the most remarkable night in the club’s short history. MLS has never been more visible or easier to bet on. Specifically, some fans now even consult a neutral, data-driven rview of betting sites without KYC to see how crypto-only books cost MLS compared to state-licensed US sportsbooks, especially for live markets and player fixtures.
For Messi, the night added another line to an absurd CV. ESPN match report and Reuters point out that the 3-1 win gave him his first MLS league title and pushed his career trophy haul to 40.
League stats show he finished 2025 as Inter’s top scorer and creator, with MLS data also ranking Miami among the league’s top teams for goals and assists, matching the visual proof of just how attacking their title was.
How the books rated Miami’s career
Before the 2025 season began, the futures markets had Inter Miami among the favorites, but not the runaways. Preseason odds columns in the American media generally placed them just behind the defending champions and a group of Western Conference teams, reflecting concerns about Messi’s workload and age during a long campaign.
As the year progressed and Miami continued to generate opportunities at an elite rate, the price of their title shortened even through a brief dip around the international breaks.
When MLS and Apple confirmed that the 2025 MLS Cup would be broadcast free-to-air in more than 100 countries on Apple TV, the markets had largely settled on Miami as a modest favorite. Apple’s editorial made it clear that the final would be available at no extra cost worldwide, in multiple languages, giving bookies confidence that they would see significant live billing.
Moneyline odds reflected the public’s instinct to back Messi in a one-off final, while derivative markets such as ‘assist at any time’, ‘involved in the first goal’ or ‘player of the match’ were heavily tilted towards the Argentine’s playing role.
Why MLS is attracting more betting interest
The scale of legal sports betting in the United States means that any exhibition finale now comes under serious scrutiny. The American Gaming Association last report on the state of the States notes that Americans legally bet about $149.9 billion on sports by 2024. The industry now generates $13.78 billion in commercial sports betting revenue, with legal markets living in 38 states plus Washington, DC.
Soccer still lags behind the NFL and NBA in sheer volume, but MLS is clearly benefiting from this infrastructure. Official data offerings and the growth of same-match parlays and micro-markets mean that a Copa Final with Messi on the pitch now comes with a deep menu of lines, from total goals and goals from both teams to individual shots, assists and fouls.
For the 2025 final, Vancouver’s balanced attack and Miami’s heavier, Messi-centric style gave traders plenty of material. This includes scoring teams, goal totals and player goal contribution props, all of which reacted quickly to team news and game momentum.
Putting Inter Miami’s win in MLS context
Historically, Inter Miami’s first title adds a new name to a list of champions long dominated by LA Galaxy, DC United, Seattle Sounders and Columbus Crew. ESPN’s all-time winning list and MLS Cup records show the LA Galaxy in the lead with six titles, followed by DC United with four and Columbus with three, with Seattle among the modern series contenders.
MyFootballFacts own MLS and NASL winners The page now needs to register Miami as the champion of 2025. In addition, the NASL and MLS Top Scorers The tables already show how prolific forwards (from Carlos Vela to Chris Wondolowski) have defined previous eras of the league. Messi’s 2025 departure for Miami sits comfortably in this line of star strikers reshaping both the standings and the betting markets.
conclusion
For MLS as a whole, a Cup Final built around Messi comes close to the ideal showcase the league envisioned when it expanded to South Florida.
The real test, for clubs, bookies and bettors, is whether Inter Miami’s breakthrough turns into a squad rather than a one-off. This is proof that MLS Finals can consistently be global events where soccer history, detailed statistics and informed betting intersect.
