Inter Miami Clashes with Vancouver Whitecaps: Star Power, Epic Storylines, and Historic Rivalry Set Stage for Explosive 2025 MLS Cup Final

This is the MLS Cup championship match that countless fans have anticipated since the summer months.

Inter Miami, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, welcomes the Vancouver Whitecaps, featuring Thomas Müller, in what represents one of the most significant title showdowns in the league's 29-year existence. 

Having accumulated more regular-season points, Inter Miami secured home-field advantage for this single-elimination final, marking the concluding match at their current venue, Chase Stadium, before inaugurating the new Miami Freedom Park for the 2026 MLS campaign. 

Both squads secured their championship berths through commanding displays. Inter Miami demolished New York City FC 4–1, highlighted by Tadeo Allende's three-goal performance in the Eastern championship, while the Whitecaps defeated San Diego FC 3–1 behind Brian White's two-goal effort to capture Western Conference honors. 

Now, one franchise will claim their inaugural MLS Cup and earn the privilege of hoisting the Phillip F. Anschutz Trophy.

Here's Sports Illustrated's breakdown of the essential narratives. 

David Beckham-Owned Inter Miami Pursuing Original Ambition

When Jorge and Jose Mas, together with David Beckham, established Inter Miami in 2020 for their inaugural MLS campaign at the MLS is Back COVID tournament at Disney World, their aspirations were evident: They envisioned the Herons becoming a globally recognized franchise. 

Although it took until their third campaign to acquire Lionel Messi and reassemble the FC Barcelona quartet of Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Luis Suárez, the objective of becoming MLS's flagship organization has remained constant. 

Now, they face their first genuine opportunity. While they captured the 2023 Leagues Cup, that triumph occurred during Messi's initial weeks, as the club has since fallen short in the FIFA Club World Cup, MLS Cup playoffs, Concacaf Champions Cup, U.S. Open Cup and 2025 Leagues Cup. 

The MLS Cup represents the ultimate prize for North American franchises, and they now have an opportunity to claim it for the first time after previously securing the Supporters' Shield, given to the top regular season performer, in the 2024 campaign. 

Lionel Messi vs. Thomas Müller

The confrontation that will capture worldwide attention isn't merely the star power of both squads, but one of the finest player rivalries of an era as Lionel Messi prepares to encounter Thomas Müller for the 11th time in their careers. 

Müller holds the edge in direct meetings with seven victories against Messi while playing for Bayern Munich or Germany. The most notable triumph occurred in 2014, when Müller set up Mario Götze in extra time of the World Cup final, devastating Messi and prolonging his quest for football's greatest prize until finally achieving it in 2022. 

Thank you for the great support to all our @WhitecapsFC fans 👏⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Q06H5euSY1

The German icon also boasts the 8–2 demolition of Messi's FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League in 2020. However, Messi can point to a Barcelona victory over Bayern Munich in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League semifinal, which the Blaugrana ultimately won. 

"The past is history. I know about my games against Messi, but I also lost against him, and it's not about Messi against Müller, it's Miami against the Whitecaps," Müller commented on the matchup after the Whitecaps' Western Conference victory. "Maybe Miami relies a little bit more on him than we do [on Muller], we're such a good group."

Concacaf Champions Cup Rematch

This marks only the third encounter between Inter Miami and Vancouver, but two of those matches occurred in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal, a two-leg series that Vancouver won 5–1 overall. 

Vancouver received two goals from Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter in the cup competition, while Pedro Vite netted the other goal. Vite, however, transferred to Liga MX's Pumas during the summer, before the Whitecaps replaced his role with Müller. Alba scored Miami's only goal. 

The commanding display from the Whitecaps occurred before Miami discovered their rhythm and before the Whitecaps transitioned from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 formation to integrate Müller. 

With these results, Vancouver became the first squad in Messi's career that he has faced twice without scoring. 

Unfortunately for the Whitecaps, their Concacaf Champions Cup final didn't proceed as planned. After eliminating Miami, they suffered a 5–0 defeat to Liga MX's Cruz Azul in the single-match final in Mexico City. 

End of an Inter Miami Era 

The 2025 MLS Cup will mark the final Inter Miami match as supporters currently know it. Both Alba and Busquets will retire following the final whistle and hope their last moments as professional athletes include lifting a trophy. 

Simultaneously, it could signal the conclusion of Suárez's tenure with the club. Manager Javier Mascherano has benched the Uruguayan veteran forward in the previous three matches, choosing 19-year-old Mateo Silvetti alongside Messi and Allende in the 4-3-3 formation. 

This change proved crucial in Miami's path to MLS Cup, as Suárez struggled to create attacking opportunities throughout the regular season and playoffs. In 22 appearances, he managed only 11 goals. 

With at least two legends departing and Mascherano handling a major decision in his first club-level coaching position, it's clear that the current Inter Miami era is concluding. 

Vancouver Whitecaps Seek Perfect Ending

This has been a remarkable campaign for the Vancouver Whitecaps, regardless of the final outcome. The team established regular season records for most points, most victories, and most shutouts, among other achievements. 

Beyond their regular season excellence, they secured a fourth consecutive Voyageurs Cup in the Canadian Championship, reached the Champions Cup final, and overcame FC Dallas, LAFC, and San Diego to claim their first Western Conference title. 

This success has been largely unexpected for the Whitecaps, a team Sports Illustrated projected to finish ninth in the Western Conference during preseason predictions. Making the achievement even more remarkable is that this season occurred while the club searches for new investors and ownership, with current management publicly announcing their intention to sell in December 2024. 

In March, they also lost captain Ryan Gauld to injury, sidelining him until October. 

Within twelve months, the franchise has progressed from playoff disappointment to being put up for sale to signing global superstar Müller and now competing for the MLS Cup. Can they complete the perfect narrative? 

First Year Coaches Clash

Either Javier Mascherano or Jesper Sørensen will have the distinction of guiding their team to a franchise-first MLS Cup, and both are in their inaugural seasons as head coaches.

Mascherano had previously only managed Argentina's youth squads and joined Miami to reconnect with former FC Barcelona teammates. He faced a challenging adjustment period with his inflexibility regarding team selection early in the season, but has since mastered the managerial craft. 

Sørensen, who placed second in MLS Coach of the Year consideration, has been a surprise success for many after spending his entire career coaching in Denmark. Before joining the Whitecaps as Vanni Sartini's replacement, he managed Brøndby IF, where he guided them to a runner-up finish in the 2023-24 Danish Superliga. 

Both also defeated fellow first-year head coaches in the conference finals: Vancouver overcame Mikey Varas's San Diego, while Miami eliminated Pascal Jansen's NYCFC.