Messi Reaches Historic Milestone as Miami Captures Fifth Club Title
Inter Miami CF added another trophy to its growing collection Wednesday night, defeating Liga MX side Cruz Azul 2-0 at Nu Stadium to capture the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup.
The victory marked the fifth title in Inter Miami history and provided a memorable championship debut for new head coach Cristian “Kily” González, who guided the club to silverware in his first match at the helm.
The night also belonged to captain Lionel Messi, who made Inter Miami history by scoring the 100th goal of his club career. Casemiro added a second-half goal to seal the victory, while goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair delivered several important saves to preserve the clean sheet.
Messi Makes Inter Miami History
Inter Miami entered the match with St. Clair in goal, while Facundo Mura, Maximiliano Falcón, Casemiro and Fricio Caicedo formed the defensive line. Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright and Matías Galarza started in midfield, with Messi, Luis Suárez and Germán Berterame leading the attack. Galarza, the recently signed Paraguayan international midfielder, made his first start for Inter Miami.
Cruz Azul created the first significant opportunity in the sixth minute when José Paradela found an opening, but St. Clair made a strong save to keep the match scoreless. Inter Miami broke through in the 24th minute after a well-developed attacking sequence. Suárez delivered a precise ball from the right flank into the center of the box, where Messi rose to score with a header and give Miami a 1-0 advantage.
The goal was historic. Messi became the first player in Inter Miami history to reach 100 goals across all competitions, accomplishing the milestone in his 115th appearance for the club. Messi’s 100 goals have come across four seasons, with 11 in 2023, 23 in 2024, 43 in 2025 and 23 so far in 2026. The Argentine superstar’s goal gave Inter Miami the lead heading into halftime, and the 1-0 advantage remained intact through much of the second half.
Casemiro Doubles Miami’s Lead
Cruz Azul continued to search for an equalizer, but Inter Miami’s defense held firm before the hosts delivered the decisive blow in the 81st minute. Messi stepped up to take a corner from the left side and sent a dangerous ball into the box. Casemiro rose above the defense and powered a towering header into the net to give Inter Miami a 2-0 lead.
The goal was Casemiro’s fourth since arriving at Inter Miami during the summer, while Messi’s assist moved him to 15 assists across all competitions in the 2026 season. With the championship within reach, Inter Miami still needed to withstand a late Cruz Azul push.
St. Clair Preserves Clean Sheet
Cruz Azul earned a free-kick opportunity deep into stoppage time, creating one final chance to get back into the match. St. Clair came through once again, making a spectacular save to deny the attempt and preserve Inter Miami’s shutout.
The Canadian international finished the match with six saves, playing a critical role in securing the 2-0 victory. When the final whistle sounded, Inter Miami had completed a convincing championship performance and lifted the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup.
The triumph gave González a winning start as head coach, added another trophy to Inter Miami’s rapidly expanding history and provided another milestone night for Messi, whose 100th goal for the club came on the way to a fifth title in club history.
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