Messi's milestone header sets Miami on course
Inter Miami claimed the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup with a 2-0 win over Cruz Azul on Wednesday night at Nu Stadium. The match was the first for new head coach Cristian "Kily" González, and it delivered the club's first trophy at its home ground. Lionel Messi, who has been central to each of Miami's recent title runs, opened the scoring inside the first half hour. He met a Luis Suárez assist with a late run into the box and a header over Willer Ditta, a rare aerial finish for the Argentine. The goal was Messi's 100th in an Inter Miami shirt, a century that began against Cruz Azul in the 2023 Leagues Cup.[S1]
Messi nearly turned provider soon after, but Ditta cleared Suárez's attempted chip over goalkeeper Kevin Mier off the line. Early in the second half, Messi again combined with Suárez and found the net, only to be ruled narrowly offside on the counterattack. Cruz Azul's best chance to equalize came when Gabriel Fernández flicked a header off the post, forcing Casemiro to block José Paradela's follow-up attempt. The Brazilian midfielder then sealed the result at the other end, heading in a Messi corner in the 81st minute to secure the silverware for the home side.[S1]
A fourth straight season with silverware
Since Messi's arrival in 2023, Inter Miami has won a trophy in every season. The club followed its 2023 Leagues Cup triumph with the 2024 Supporters' Shield and the 2025 MLS Cup, and now adds the 2026 Campeones Cup. Messi was named the Campeones Cup Superior Player of the Match after scoring the milestone opener and assisting the clincher. The win also leveled the all-time Campeones Cup record between MLS and LIGA MX at four victories apiece.[S1]
The Campeones Cup, established in 2018, is a single-match competition between the reigning champions of MLS and LIGA MX. Inter Miami qualified as 2025 MLS Cup winners, while Cruz Azul earned Mexico's berth as 2026 Clausura champions after defeating Apertura winners Toluca in the Campeón de Campeones. The match carried a historical parallel for Messi, who faced Cruz Azul in his Inter Miami debut during the 2023 Leagues Cup, scoring a stoppage-time free kick in a 2-1 victory. A win for Cruz Azul would have been the club's first in the competition, following a 2-0 defeat to the Columbus Crew in the 2021 final.[S2]
