Messi helps Inter Miami win MLS Cup

It's in the pantheon of the trophies and the titles that he's won. This is a significant thing. This is a significant box check because he was brought here to do this and the guy walks away with assisting two of the three goals in MLS Cup and assisting or scoring most of the goals Miami scored all year. Yeah, and it's the reason that sports debate talk shows exist is because we love to sit there and talk about who is the greatest and why they were the greatest. Make no mistake about it. Winning trophies absolutely swings that into your court and for a guy like Messi that has won everywhere he's gone, well here's another win in his trophy cabinet as we've talked about. He's got an entire house full of them and there's a reason. The guy's a winner. He loves to win. He has so much quality. He delivers on the biggest moments continually and Jorge Mas knew that. He took a big swing. Give that man a lot of credit. The personal owner of Inter Miami. He wanted to make a big splash in the city. He knew in the city of stars in Miami that you have to do it and you have to go and get the best. He got the best and the best delivered. And you see the smiles from David Beckham knows what it means to win this trophy as a player. Now wins it as a part owner. He'll take the podium. We saw Victor Montaliani up there, president of Konky Calf, who's himself from Vancouver. He is a Vancouver Whitecaps, so Victor Montaliani is putting on the brave face, but this is hurting him inside right now. Cindy Parlo Cohen as well, president of U.S. Soccer up there. It's almost a passing of the torch moment for David Beckham. Truly, I was a player in the league when Beckham was winning titles with the Galaxy and he came to this league. And you don't need me to tell you the effect and the transformation he had by being here. And now he assigned the player in Lionel Messi to take this league to that next level. And they're going to have to refresh their roster because they're going to be losing two of their starters. The first two men up on the podium were Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, who are retiring. There's an open question about whether Luis Suarez is back next year. He didn't even see. That's it. They didn't even need Luis Suarez on the field today, and they won this game by two goals. We spent some time with Jorge Mas, who's right there in your picture next to Beckham before. He said to me the last thing as he walked off, he said, next year we want the Konky Calf Champions Cup. We want to win cup tonight, but look out for this transfer window we have coming up. So a little bit of a tease of what to expect, and not that that's a huge revelation that Miami's going to go for it, but it made me intrigued. He needs to work in television, that's a heck of a tease. We're going to be excited to be back here at some point next spring then in the Konky Calf Champions Cup. As the players get their medals, yes, indeed, whether that man made the sign in the last few minutes or came with it to the stadium, Inter Miami are the champions to get contributions from all over the field, young players, veteran players, role players, and stars, and they finally were able to do what they had struggled to do each of the last two years, even since Sonny Messi didn't make the playoffs two years ago, dumped in the first round by Atlanta a year ago, and could so easily have lost this game. If Vancouver, if it bounces off the inside of the post, if it's 2-1 Whitecaps in the second half, this might be a completely different conversation, but it didn't, and they had the quality to make the plays at the end. Those posts are going to haunt Vancouver. That's a moment with this being the last game of your season that you're just going to think about over and over and over and think about what if and had that ball gone in, but luck today was on Miami's side and they got to host MLS Cup because of their performance in the regular season. That is truly, as MLS has shifted to reward teams and try to put more of an emphasis on the regular season. As you see, Rodrigo de Paul joined as a mid-season acquisition. They spent big money transfer fee on him to bring him from Atletico Madrid, and I think at times we say it in justice, Messi's bodyguard, it does a disservice to de Paul because he is just the ultimate competitor, a guy that leaves it all out there on the field, and I don't think it's going to be a quiet night for these boys tonight. You see Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, the coaching staff getting their medals, including Javier Morales, an MLS Cup winner for Real Salt Lake, now on the coaching staff. And now that the Miami players have received their medals, it's time for them to receive a trophy. MLS Commissioner Don Garber there giving Lionel Messi his congratulations, and then the party will certainly begin in earnest. They know how to party here in South Florida. We found that out. We understand that. And it will be quite a celebration for this team, for the staff, for everyone that has worked tirelessly over the weeks and months to put this together. And so the final big moment here at Shea Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, the trophy presentation for Inter-Miami as champions of MLS Cup. Thank you, incredible support and great partnership since 2015. First and foremost, Inter-Miami fans, we would like to welcome your captain, Lionel Messi, to the stage. I'm also here with MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who will be presenting the 2025 Phillip F. Anschutz MLS Cup trophy to today's champion, your Inter-Miami. What a game, what a match, what a way to cap off our 30th season. They said soccer would never make it in America. Inter-Miami fans, has soccer made it? I want to give a shout out to Vancouver, their fans, their players, their ownership. They've done everything to deserve being here tonight. Tonight is about the Herons. Second trophy in their sixth season. Jorge, David, and Jose, you came into this league saying that you would build a team that would fulfill the dreams of millions of people across our country and across the globe. And you did that. For soccer fans across America and Canada, thank you for everything you've done. Leon, it's been an honor that none of us can truly even understand to have you in our league. The thrills, the commitment, the passion, your love of being here in Miami, and your love of your teammates. It's my honor to present the Philip Anchuths Trophy to Jorge, David, and Jose, who will give it to Leo, who will present it to the team. Congratulations! Well, two iconic players, each with their hands on that trophy. And now something that we saw three years ago this month, just north of Doha, Qatar. Lionel Messi, trophy in hand, will walk to the stage to join his teammates. He has earned this with his work. They have earned this with their work. Enter Miami, winners of MLS Cup! A great picture there for a great team, very deserving champions in the 30th edition of MLS Cup. And they had to fight the whole 90-plus minutes to get past the Vancouver Whitecaps to do so. And these celebrations will continue for a long while to come.