Messi’s 100th Goal Crowns Inter Miami as 2026 Campeones Cup Champions
Some nights in football write themselves. Wednesday at Nu Stadium was one of them.
Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami, assisted the second, and lifted yet another trophy as the Herons beat Liga MX heavyweights Cruz Azul 2-0 to claim the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup. It was Miami’s first piece of silverware at their new home — and the fourth consecutive season they’ve added a trophy since Messi arrived in 2023.
A Header, of All Things
The opener came just before the half-hour mark, and it arrived in the least Messi way imaginable: with his head.
Luis Suárez, still finding those angles that only he sees, swung in a cross from the left. Messi made a late, unmarked run into the box, climbed above Cruz Azul defender Willer Ditta, and buried the header past Andrés Mier. A rare finish from a player who has spent two decades embarrassing defenders with his feet.
The goal carried more than three points’ worth of meaning. It was Messi’s 100th in Inter Miami pink — and, with a symmetry no scriptwriter would dare attempt, his first goal for the club also came against Cruz Azul, in the 2023 Leagues Cup. A century of goals bookended by the same opponent.
Cruz Azul Pushed — and Nearly Broke Through
La Máquina did not come to Miami to be a supporting act. They arrived as Campeón de Campeones winners after a 3-1 victory over Toluca, and off the back of a wild 4-3 win over América in the Clásico Joven, and they played like a side that fancied their chances.
José Paradela tested Dayne St. Clair inside six minutes. Agustín Palavecino danced past two defenders for a shot the Canadian keeper had to be sharp to stop. The closest call came when Gabriel Fernández flicked a header off the post, only for Casemiro to block Paradela’s follow-up on the rebound.
St. Clair finished the night with six saves, including a flying stop on a stoppage-time free kick to preserve the clean sheet. On a night when the headlines belonged to the No. 10, Miami’s goalkeeper quietly did as much as anyone to win the trophy.
Casemiro Seals It
The insurance goal came in the 81st minute, and it came from an unlikely source — though perhaps not unlikely if you’ve watched Casemiro over the years.
Deployed in Miami’s back four rather than his customary midfield anchor role, the Brazilian pushed forward for a Messi corner and headed it home to make it 2-0. Two goals, two headers, one Messi assist on the second. Cruz Azul had no response left.
A Dream Debut for Kily González
Here’s the detail that makes this one stranger still: Inter Miami’s head coach was taking charge of his very first match.
Cristian “Kily” González, appointed only days earlier, won a trophy in his debut game — a line very few managers in the sport’s history can claim. He inherited a squad that had been stumbling in recent weeks, and immediately handed them a title. Not a bad way to introduce yourself to the dressing room.
The Bigger Picture
Since Messi’s transformational move to South Florida, Inter Miami have collected hardware every single season: Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024, MLS Cup in 2025, and now the Campeones Cup in 2026. Five trophies in club history, four of them in the Messi era.
The win also carries weight beyond Miami. It levelled the all-time Campeones Cup ledger between MLS and Liga MX at four titles apiece — a genuine statement in a rivalry that has long been framed as Mexico’s league looking down at its northern neighbour.
For Cruz Azul, it’s a frustrating night in a season that has otherwise looked promising. They created enough to be level at the break and had the better of several spells, but ran into an inspired goalkeeper and a captain having one of those evenings.
What’s Next
Inter Miami return to league action Sunday, September 20, hosting San Diego FC at Nu Stadium for Hispanic Heritage Night. If Wednesday is any indication, whatever slump the Herons were in may already be behind them.
Messi is 39 years old. He is still scoring milestone goals in finals, still setting up teammates for headers off corners, still lifting trophies. At some point the football world will stop being surprised by that. Clearly, not yet.
