Messi puts Miami in the pink

Lionel Messi's legacy was long secured when he came to Inter Miami and joined Major League Soccer. He'd won a World Cup, won dozens of trophies and was generally considered the greatest player in the sport's history.

He didn't need an MLS Cup.

But, he wanted one — and got it.

Messi and Inter Miami have completed their ascent, beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday in the MLS Cup final for the franchise's first championship. It came two-and-a-half years after the Argentine legend arrived in South Florida, a move that stunned plenty of onlookers at the time.

He led the team to a Leagues Cup trophy in 2023, the MLS Supporters' Shield last year, before a first-round playoff loss — and now, he's grabbed MLS' biggest prize.

"Last year we went out early in the league and were eliminated in the first round," Messi said in Spanish after the final. "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."

Messi set up the title-clinching goal with a 72nd-minute assist to Rodrigo De Paul, a play where Messi stole the ball and threaded a pass through a tiny gap in a wall of Vancouver defenders. De Paul took it in his stride, pushed it into the far corner of the net — and Messi went airborne to hop into his arms a few seconds later, all smiles.

And, as the final minutes ticked away, Inter Miami's pink-clad fans — most wearing Messi's No 10 on their backs — stood and stomped and cheered. South Florida has seen NFL and NBA and Major League Baseball and NHL titles in the past.