Inter Miami Wins Campeones Cup as Messi Hits 100th Club Goal

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal for Inter Miami CF and helped the club lift another piece of silverware, as the Herons beat Cruz Azul 2–0 to win the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup at Nu Stadium (Miami Freedom Park). Inter Miami’s official match recap said the captain’s 24th-minute header — set up by Luis Suárez — made him the first player in club history to reach a century of goals, while Casemiro’s late header from a Messi corner sealed the result and a fifth title in the club’s short MLS life.

Reuters confirmed the same scoreline and milestone on Sept. 17, noting Messi’s 115th appearance for Miami and framing the annual clash as the meeting of the MLS Cup holders and Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones winners. MLSSoccer.com quoted new head coach Cristian “Kily” González after a winning debut: “Leo told me he’d make me a champion, so he kept his word.” For a club that has treated trophy nights as routine since Messi’s 2023 arrival, the Campeones Cup added another line to a resume that already includes Leagues Cup, a Supporters’ Shield, and MLS Cup.

The narrative arc of the goal made the night feel scripted. MLSSoccer.com reported that Messi’s century began against Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup and closed against the same Mexican side in a final, this time with a rare headed finish after a late-arriving run past Willer Ditta. Suárez’s delivery from the right flank was the familiar partner assist; Messi’s leap was the unfamiliar punctuation. Inter Miami’s club account broke the milestone into seasonal chunks — 11 goals in 2023, 23 in 2024, 43 in 2025, and 23 so far in 2026 — underscoring how quickly the Argentine has rewritten the franchise’s scoring book.

Cruz Azul pressed hard enough to make the clean sheet look earned rather than inevitable. Dayne St. Clair denied José Paradela early and finished with six saves, including a late stoppage-time free-kick intervention. Gabriel Fernández headed against the post in the second half before Casemiro blocked the rebound. Possession tilted slightly toward the visitors (52%–48%), and Cruz Azul outshot Miami 18–7, yet the Herons’ efficiency decided the Cup. In the 81st minute Messi’s left-side corner found Casemiro’s towering header — the Brazilian’s fourth goal since his summer arrival — and the 2–0 cushion held.

Beyond the milestone, the night marked a coaching handover and a venue first. González took charge for his opening match and left with a trophy; Nu Stadium hosted its first championship celebration for the home side. Matías Galarza, the recently signed Paraguayan midfielder, made his first Inter Miami start. The starting XI mixed Dayne St. Clair in goal with Facundo Mura, Maximiliano Falcón, Casemiro, and Fricio Caicedo across the back; Rodrigo De Paul, Yannick Bright, and Galarza in midfield; and Messi, Suárez, and Germán Berterame ahead. It was a statement lineup for a one-night continental final rather than a rotated cup XI.

Context around Messi’s career stage sharpened the celebration. Reuters noted that the 39-year-old, Argentina’s all-time leading scorer with 125 international goals, announced his international retirement last month and will take a final bow for the national team in a friendly against Benin on Oct. 6. Club football remains his primary stage, and Inter Miami continues to treat every competition as a chance to add hardware. MLS said the result leveled the all-time Campeones Cup series against Liga MX at four wins apiece and extended Miami’s streak of winning a trophy in each season since Messi’s arrival.

Next on the calendar is a return to regular-season business: Inter Miami hosts San Diego FC on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. ET for Hispanic Heritage Night presented by Modelo. Cruz Azul turns back to Liga MX Apertura play against Monterrey. For one Wednesday night in Florida, though, the story was simpler — a captain’s century, a debut coach’s first win, and a Cup that kept Inter Miami’s trophy cabinet growing at a pace few MLS sides have ever matched.