Lionel Messi scored a goal and set up another as Inter Miami beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup on Wednesday, the 49th trophy of his career.
The win at Nu Stadium gave Inter Miami its first Campeones Cup title in the annual match between the Major League Soccer champion and the winner of Mexico’s Liga MX equivalent. Messi entered the game with 48 career trophies after Inter Miami’s 2025 MLS Cup triumph.
Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute with his 100th goal for Inter Miami. Luis Suarez crossed the ball from the byline, and Messi rose above Willer Ditta for a diving header that beat Cruz Azul goalkeeper.
Suarez almost added a second goal in the 32nd minute. He collected a cross-field pass from Messi and laid it off for German Berterame, but a Cruz Azul defender cleared Berterame’s dinked effort off the line.
Messi thought he had scored again early in the second half. He ran through one-on-one after a Suarez through ball and slotted the shot in off the post, but the assistant referee ruled him offside.
Cruz Azul came close to equalizing in the 67th minute. Substitute Gabriel Fernandez glanced a header off the post, and Casemiro blocked the rebound to keep Miami’s lead intact.
Messi delivered the second goal in the 81st minute. He swung in a corner that found Casemiro, who headed the ball low into the far post to make it 2-0.
Miami goalkeeper Dayne St Clair preserved the clean sheet late on, saving a free kick from Cruz Azul’s Jose Paradela. Paradela had also forced the game’s first big chance in the opening minutes, when St Clair stopped his shot at the near post.
The trophy came in new head coach Cristian “Kily” Gonzalez’s first match in charge of Inter Miami. Gonzalez was appointed last month but only ran his first training sessions this week because of visa delays.
The win also marked Messi’s first trophy since Argentina lost the 2026 World Cup final to Spain two months ago.
Mexican teams had won the previous three editions of the Campeones Cup. Cruz Azul have never won the competition and lost the 2021 final as well.
Wednesday’s match was the eighth edition of the tournament, which is always played at the MLS club’s home stadium.
