Lionel Messi hailed a "beautiful, emotional moment' after his brace of assists secured a first-ever MLS Cup title for Inter Miami after defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 on Saturday. The victory completes a dramatic turnaround for a club that was languishing in the MLS basement when the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner arrived in Miami as the biggest signing in league history in July 2023.

Saturday’s MLS Cup final has thrown them together, placing them in opposition in their respective careers’ twilight, but there has been no binary relationship, nor any sense of a decades long duel.

He further added, "The addition of Muller coming to that team makes them much better still. It brings more awareness to the game, to the team, and it will be a very, very special final, in which we ho...