Lionel Messi delivered another landmark night for Inter Miami, scoring his 100th goal for the club and helping the Herons beat Cruz Azul 2-0 to lift the 2026 Campeones Cup. The Argentine superstar scored in the 24th minute before setting up Casemiro for the second goal late in the match.
Inter Miami’s latest trophy also continues a remarkable run since Messi arrived in South Florida in 2023. The club has now won a trophy in each of the four seasons of the Messi era: the 2023 Leagues Cup, 2024 Supporters’ Shield, 2025 MLS Cup and the 2026 Campeones Cup.
Messi’s 100th Inter Miami goal comes in a final
The milestone could hardly have arrived in a more memorable setting.
Playing against Cruz Azul at Nu Stadium, Messi opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Luis Suárez delivered the ball from the right side, and Messi made a late run into the box before rising to send a header into the net.
It was not the type of goal most fans immediately associate with Messi, but its significance was enormous. The finish made him the first player in Inter Miami history to reach 100 goals. He achieved the mark in just 115 appearances across all competitions.
There was also a remarkable connection to the opponent. Messi scored his first Inter Miami goal against Cruz Azul during his debut for the club in July 2023. That night, he produced a stoppage-time free-kick winner in a 2-1 victory. Three years later, Cruz Azul became the opponent when he reached the 100-goal milestone.
According to Inter Miami, Messi’s 100 goals have come across four seasons: 11 in 2023, 23 in 2024, 43 in 2025 and 23 so far in 2026.
Casemiro seals the Campeones Cup
Cruz Azul had opportunities to get back into the match, but Inter Miami’s defense managed to keep the Mexican side off the scoresheet.
The decisive second goal arrived in the 81st minute. Messi stood over a corner kick and delivered the ball into a dangerous area, where Casemiro rose highest and headed it into the net.
The goal completed a memorable contribution from Messi, who finished the final with one goal and one assist. MLS named him the Campeones Cup MVP after the match.
For Casemiro, it was another headed goal during a productive spell in front of goal. According to the Associated Press, his latest strike was his fourth header in his previous five matches.
Cruz Azul created chances but could not find a goal
The final was not a one-sided attacking performance from Inter Miami.
Cruz Azul created several chances and threatened to equalize, including an opportunity that resulted in the ball hitting the post. Inter Miami, however, survived the pressure and eventually found the second goal that ended the contest.
That made the 2-0 scoreline particularly significant. Miami did not need to dominate every attacking statistic to win the trophy. Instead, Messi’s finishing, set-piece quality and the team’s ability to defend its lead proved decisive.
The result also gave Inter Miami its first Campeones Cup title. The competition brings together the MLS Cup champion and Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones winner. With Miami’s victory, MLS and Liga MX now have four Campeones Cup wins apiece in the competition’s history.
Another trophy in the Messi era
When Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023, the club was looking to establish itself among the major teams in North American football. His arrival immediately changed the club’s trophy record.
Miami won the Leagues Cup in 2023, followed by the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025. The Campeones Cup victory now adds another piece of silverware in 2026.
The sequence is particularly notable because each trophy has come in a different season since Messi’s arrival.
The Argentine has also continued to produce individual records during his time in MLS. Inter Miami says he won the MLS Golden Boot in 2025 with 29 goals and became the first player in league history to win the Landon Donovan MLS MVP award in consecutive seasons, in 2024 and 2025.
His 100th Inter Miami goal adds another milestone to that list.
Messi and Inter Miami have more work ahead
The Campeones Cup triumph provides Inter Miami with another trophy, but the season is not over.
The Herons are scheduled to return to MLS action on September 20 against San Diego FC at Nu Stadium.
For Messi, meanwhile, the focus will quickly shift back to league football and the challenges still ahead. His ability to influence important matches remains central to Inter Miami’s ambitions, and Wednesday’s final showed that even at 39, he can still decide a major occasion.
There was something fitting about the way the milestone arrived. Messi’s first Inter Miami goal came against Cruz Azul, and his 100th also came against the same opponent. The first was a free kick in his debut; the 100th was a header in a final that delivered another trophy.
That storyline gives the Campeones Cup victory an extra layer beyond the trophy itself.
Inter Miami now have another title to celebrate, Messi has reached 100 goals for the club, and Casemiro has added his name to another decisive moment. For supporters, it was another memorable chapter in the rapidly growing Messi era in Miami.
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