Messi magic sends Inter Miami to first MLS Cup final, even without goal

Inter Miami are one win from the most dramatic turnaround in MLS, and they got there with Lionel Messi pulling the strings like only he can.

Javier Mascherano’s side crushed New York City FC 5–1 on Saturday, booking their first-ever MLS Cup final in Fort Lauderdale. Tadeo Allende stole the scoreline with a ruthless hat-trick, but Messi delivered the moment that broke New York: a no-look, defence-splitting assist for Miami’s third goal.

“Leo has accustomed us to the extraordinary,” Mascherano said, equal parts admiration and resignation. “He’s someone extraordinary, someone we’ll never see again. Today… perhaps we’re surprised that he didn’t score, but he gave us peace of mind with the third goal, an assist that only he can see.”

And he wasn’t exaggerating: the pass to Mateo Silvetti effectively killed NYCFC’s hopes just as they were chasing an equaliser.

Miami will host the Vancouver Whitecaps next Saturday, a rematch with plenty of emotional baggage. Vancouver, powered by Thomas Müller’s late-career revival, steamrolled San Diego 3–1 to take the Western Conference title.

Once wobbling through a season that looked ready to implode, Miami have now hammered Cincinnati 4–0, then NYCFC by four goals again. Allende has become Miami’s sudden, sharp finisher, a one-man avalanche with five goals in two playoff games.

Against New York, he broke the offside trap for the opener, then climbed above everyone for a towering second.

They swept straight upfield, Messi clicked into genius mode, Silvetti smashed home for 3–1, and the game was gone.

Segovia made it 4–1. Allende finished his hat-trick at 89 minutes, ice-cold. And Miami celebrated like a team that remembers exactly how bad this season once looked.

“We strengthened as a group… everyone pulls together, and it doesn’t matter who starts,” Mascherano said. “The power of a group is unbreakable.”

The Whitecaps, who battered Miami 5–1 on aggregate in their CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal in April, are hardly coming into this shy.

They flew out to a 3–0 lead on San Diego in half an hour, forced an own goal, scored twice through Brian White, and generally acted like a team that fully believes they can spoil Miami’s party.

Even Lozano’s rocket for San Diego never shook them. If anything, Vancouver looked more likely to score again, right up until San Diego’s keeper Pablo Sisniega was sent off for hauling down Ryan Gauld.

In short: Miami are peaking. Vancouver are peaking. And Messi, even at 38, is still the axis around which everything spins.