Fort Lauder dale,Florida, 7 December (H.S.): Lionel Messi orchestrated Inter Miami's historic first MLS Cup triumph on Saturday, delivering two assists and engineering a third in a pulsating 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps before an ecstatic sellout crowd at Chase Stadium.
Named tournament MVP, the Argentine maestro sparked the comeback after Vancouver equalized through Ali Ahmed in the 60th minute, first dispossessing Andrés Cubas to set up Rodrigo De Paul's go-ahead strike before threading the decisive pass to Tadeo Allende in stoppage time.
The triumph vindicates co-owner David Beckham's vision since the club's 2020 expansion entry, fulfilling promises of elite talent and silverware following Messi's transformative 2023 arrival alongside retirees Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, whose careers concluded on this exalted note.
Messi reflected, This is the moment we've been waiting for, hailing the farewell for his ex-Barcelona comrades as very special. Vancouver coach Jesper Sørensen rued critical errors, noting, A game is decided in a few moments, and when you play Miami, they have the players to take advantage.
Inter Miami's ascent from also-rans to champions underscores Messi's indelible impact, capping a season of redemption after an early own goal by Edier Ocampo.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
