Three Takeaways As Lionel Messi Extends World Record Trophy Haul With Inter Miami’s Campeones Cup Victory

MESSI HEADS IT IN! 😱

Leo’s 100th career goal for @InterMiamiCF opens the scoring against Cruz Azul in @CampeonesCup. pic.twitter.com/M1cI6nOIhC

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 17, 2026

Lionel Messi’s Legend Grows

In every year since he joined the Herons, Messi has delivered a trophy. While the Campeones Cup might not be as important as other titles and doesn’t serve as a qualifying stage for other competitions, it could be the final piece of silverware in the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner’s career. 

Playing on the left wing in González’s first starting lineup, which allowed longtime teammate Luis Suárez to shift into a center-forward role, Messi was electric as always, dancing on the ball and creating three chances and completing three dribbles, in addition to his goal and assist. 

At 39 and having recently announced a farewell game with Argentina after deciding to retire from international play, it would have been fair for the 2026 Ballon d’Or nominee to prioritize MLS play over a one-match trophy competition. Instead, he was determined to add the silverware and help Miami out of their poor form. 

It was evident how much lifting a trophy meant to him post-match, as he danced with supporters and celebrated among his teammates, likely knowing that the opportunities to embrace silverware victories are fleeting—especially given Miami’s struggles for consistency in MLS play, which make the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup a relatively lofty goal. 

González Changes Defensive Setup

González will continue to make adjustments with Inter Miami as they look to build form in MLS before the MLS Cup playoffs, but his personnel shifts to bring Facundo Mura back into the starting right-back position for the first time since Aug. 22 could prove formative. 

Having Mura in the position behind Rodrigo De Paul in right midfield allowed for a more conservative defensive effort, and offered cover to 18-year-old center back Fricio Caicedo, who continued to play out of position as a left back. At the same time, Casemiro’s drop into central defense remained a strong solution for a team that has struggled to create any sort of defensive cohesion in recent seasons. 

In the midfield three of the 4-3-3, González also gave Paraguayan midfielder Matías Galarza his first start, pushing him in front of Caicedo in left midfield to secure that side when the ball dropped to the left.  

The shifts may have been small defensively, but they made a difference and limited Cruz Azul to four shots on target, while moving Messi wider than he has often played continued to let him influence the game. González will certainly evolve further, but his early moments on the touchline marked plenty of promise.

Can Inter Miami Find Form?

With the win snapping the nine-game winless run, Miami could use it as a springboard to greater success through the final nine games of the season. Currently nine points behind Nashville SC for the top of the Eastern Conference and the Supporters’ Shield, the Herons hope to cut the deficit and claim at least the No. 2 spot as an advantageous position in the postseason. 

Fortunately, the Herons have one of the easiest remaining schedules in MLS, with six of the nine remaining opponents below seventh in their respective conferences as they head into the final third of the season, starting with Saturday’s matchup against Western Conference ninth-place side, San Diego FC. 

After a dire post-World Cup spell, Miami desperately needed a new voice on the touchline and a unifying moment to rekindle some hope in the group. Getting those moments on the same night could be a turning point, with the season’s biggest still looming.

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