‘This is the moment I had been waiting for’: Lionel Messi after winning his first MLS title with Inter Miami

FLORIDA:  After winning his first Major League Soccer (MLS) title with Inter Miami, the Argentine legend Lionel Messi admitted it was his side’s primary objective this season.

Inter Miami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 to lift the 2025 MLS Cup at Chase Stadium on Saturday.

The Argentine legend Messi didn’t score in the final, but he played a crucial role in Miami’s victory. First, Messi delivered a cross to Tadeo Allende down the right, where Vancouver defender Edier Ocampo turned Messi’s cross in for an own goal.

Messi then assisted Rodrigo De Paul before making another assist to Tadeo Allende in stoppage time, who scored his ninth goal in the MLS playoffs as Inter Miami clinched a title.

After being awarded the MLS MVP postgame, Messi said that the trophy came to Miami after a long effort. The Argentine Legend revealed that he was waiting for this moment for a very long time.

“Three years ago, I decided to come to MLS, and today we are MLS champions,’ Messi said as quoted by Goal.com.

“We reached the semifinals of the [CONCACAF] Champions Cup. Last year, we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round.

This year, winning the MLS was one of our main objectives. The team made a huge effort – it was a very long year, with many matches – and we were up to the task all season. This is the moment I had been waiting for, and that we, as a team, were waiting for. It’s very beautiful for all of us. They deserved it,” Messi added.

Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano also highlighted Messi’s importance in the Herons’ title-winning campaign in MLS.

“He was making a big effort in these last two, three, four games, which showed how important it is for him to win. I didn’t tell him to do that, but it shows how special it is. He came here to win this trophy,” the coach said as quoted by Goal.com. (ANI)