Lionel Messi and Inter Miami’s hopes of lifting their first-ever CONCACAF Champions Cup came to a crashing end Wednesday night as the Vancouver Whitecaps stunned them with a 3-1 win in Florida, sealing a dominant 5-1 aggregate victory to reach the final.
Despite a promising start from Miami—Jordi Alba scored in the 9th minute after a brilliant assist sequence from Messi and Suarez—Vancouver hit back with three second-half goals, showcasing speed, teamwork, and hunger that Miami simply couldn’t match.
Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen, thrilled with the club’s historic first trip to the regional final, praised the entire organization:
“I’m just so happy for everybody in the club… A lot of people have worked for many years and not seen a moment like this.”
Vancouver will now face either Cruz Azul or Tigres UANL in the final, aiming to become the first Canadian team to win the tournament.
Goals from Brian White, Pedro Vite, and Sebastian Berhalter (who unfortunately picked up a suspension-triggering yellow) capped off a second-half masterclass that exposed Miami’s aging defense and sluggish midfield.
Messi had a few late efforts, but by then the damage was done. As Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano put it:
“The defeat hurts a lot because we imagined reaching the final. But we have to accept that our opponents outplayed us.”
With CONCACAF dreams dashed, Miami now turns focus to the MLS Cup and FIFA Club World Cup preparations—though Mascherano insists, “It would be a mistake to focus on that now.”
