Messi puts Miami in the pink

It's a soccer town now, too. Messi made that happen.

Tadeo Allende scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time — off another Messi assist, of course — to make it 3-1. And when Messi lifted the trophy surrounded by his teammates, confetti rained down and fireworks boomed.

"This was the dream," Inter Miami managing owner Jorge Mas said. "A spectacular day."

Inter Miami became the 16th franchise in the league's 30-year history to win an MLS title. And this extends a run of parity for MLS, which has seen five different franchises win championships in the last five years, and eight franchises claim a title in the last nine seasons — only Columbus has won twice in that span.

"They said soccer would never make it in America," MLS commissioner Don Garber said during the trophy ceremony. "Inter Miami fans, has soccer made it?"

It has, and the moment is also the culmination of a 12-year odyssey for David Beckham, part of Inter Miami's ownership group.

He retired as a player in 2013 and his MLS contract said he could start a franchise at a discounted rate when his career ended. Beckham chose Miami, and it took him years to finally make it happen; it wasn't until January 2018 when the franchise was formally born, after he partnered with Miami businessmen Jorge and Jose Mas, and, even then, the team didn't have a stadium plan.

The team started playing in 2020, and Messi arrived halfway through the 2023 season. Inter Miami was in last place in MLS at the time.

And then Messi arrived.

The last-place team then, now runs the league.

"It's been an incredible journey," Beckham said.

The trophy is Messi's 47th for club and country, extending his global men's soccer record.