Messi Leads Inter Miami's Championship Charge Toward 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Glory
After a historic season that saw Inter Miami capture their most significant trophy in franchise history, the club now sets its sights on becoming just the second Major League Soccer squad this century to claim the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2026.
Inter Miami concluded a magical 2025 campaign by securing their first-ever MLS Cup championship. Lionel Messi etched his legacy into MLS folklore in spectacular fashion while Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets concluded their illustrious careers with one last trophy celebration.
As one era concludes, a fresh journey commences, and Miami is hungry for additional achievements in 2026. The club is already familiar with their 2026 MLS fixture list, and recently, Javier Mascherano's squad discovered their pathway through the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
Miami has fallen short in the competition's quarterfinals and semifinals during the previous two campaigns, making continental supremacy the unmistakable goal for the upcoming year.
The Herons' recent MLS Cup victory secured them automatic qualification to the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16. After the tournament draw was completed, the bracket structure was unveiled, and Miami now understands their potential journey toward regional dominance.
Here's how Messi and Miami could navigate their way to the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup final as they pursue what might be the most ambitious target since the club's establishment.
2026 Concacaf Champions Cup: Complete Bracket
As MLS Cup victors, Miami will bypass the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup, earning direct entry into the round of 16.
Miami's round-of-16 encounter won't commence until mid-March, providing Mascherano and his team ample opportunity to strategize for their continental campaign.
The competition transitions immediately into elimination rounds from its inception, with each matchup consisting of two-legged home and away fixtures leading up to the single-match final.
Miami was placed in the upper-right section of the bracket and will meet the victor of the first-round clash between Canadian side Ottawa and Nashville SC. All indicators suggest the Herons will encounter a well-known adversary to start their championship pursuit.
Inter Miami's Journey to 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Final
Round of 16
Nashville SC stands as the clear favorite to progress beyond Ottawa in the opening round, setting up a continental showdown with Messi's Herons.
Miami knocked out Nashville in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs during their 2025 championship run and prevailed in four of their five encounters throughout the season. Additionally, the Herons eliminated Nashville in the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16, making them confident about repeating this success in 2026.
Messi has particularly thrived against Nashville, accumulating 15 goals and four assists across the 10 matches he's contested against them since arriving in Miami.
Quarterfinal
Should Miami advance past the round of 16, an enticing showdown against Club América, the most successful franchise in Concacaf Champions Cup history, represents their most probable quarterfinal matchup.
América possesses seven continental titles and their 16 Liga MX championships represent the highest total among Mexican football clubs. Las Águilas stand as a legendary North American force and recently experienced an extraordinary period of success, capturing three straight Liga MX crowns.
Should América fail to reach the quarterfinal stage, then defending Supporters' Shield champions Philadelphia Union would become Miami's most probable adversary.
Semifinal
Should Miami reach the semifinal for consecutive seasons, Concacaf's club rankings indicate Liga MX team Tigres would represent their most plausible opponent.
The Herons overcame Tigres during the 2025 Leagues Cup, but MLS clubs have historically struggled when traveling to Mexican venues for two-legged Concacaf Champions Cup elimination matches, as demonstrated in their 2024 quarterfinal loss to Monterrey.
If that challenge isn't intimidating enough, Tigres might enter the tournament as defending Liga MX champions, having discovered exceptional form during the latter half of 2025. Spearheaded by 2022 World Cup winner Ángel Correa, Messi and his teammates would need to perform at peak level to overcome one of Liga MX's most accomplished teams from recent years.
Should Tigres underperform relative to their seeding, an exciting rematch of the 2025 MLS Cup final against Vancouver Whitecaps would create compelling viewing. While Miami prevailed in their most recent final meeting, Vancouver had previously eliminated the Herons in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal.
Final
Should Miami achieve their deepest tournament progression and reach the May 30 final, Toluca—Liga MX's premier team over the past year—appears as the most likely finalist from the opposite bracket half.
Antonio Mohamed's squad could enter the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup as consecutive Liga MX champions and currently holds the region's top ranking. Toluca has assembled an impressive roster and will undoubtedly rank among the tournament's primary favorites.
Defending champions Cruz Azul represent another potential final opponent. Cruz Azul dominated Vancouver to capture the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, matching América as the tournament's most successful franchises in history.
Despite these potential challengers, Miami would likely need to defeat one of the two North American clubs ranked superior to them for continental success. Moreover, Messi and company would need to become only the second MLS franchise to defeat a Liga MX opponent in the final this century, with 18 of the previous 19 champions originating from Mexico's premier division.
Claiming Miami's inaugural Concacaf Champions Cup in 2026 will require an extraordinary performance, but as they've demonstrated since Messi's arrival, no silverware remains beyond reach for the team in pink.