Lionel Messi reached 48 career titles and his 100th goal for Inter Miami by scoring a rare header in a 2-0 victory over Cruz Azul at the Nu Stadium in Florida, securing the Campeones Cup for the Major League Soccer champions.
Lionel Messi sumó un nuevo título a su palmarés en la noche de este miércoles con la consagración del Inter Miami ante Cruz Azul en el Nu Stadium de Florida por la Campeones Cup, el trofeo que reunió a los vigentes campeones de la Major League Soccer (MLS) y el ganador del Campeón del Campeones, que fue jugado por los vencedores del Apertura y Clausura de la Liga de México.
Lionel Messi’s historic night in Florida unfolded through a rare method by winning a header in the air to convert his milestone goal against Mexican opposition. At the 24-minute mark of the match, Luis Suárez lofted a cross to the back post, where he connected with the ball to send it toward the right post of goalkeeper Jeremy Marquez, who had little chance to stop it.
Campeones Cup Victory at Nu Stadium
The Campeones Cup brought together the reigning champions of Major League Soccer and the winners of Mexico’s Campeón de Campeones, though the team reached this match by facing the winner of the Liga MX in Mexico. Inter Miami’s 2-0 triumph over Cruz Azul added another trophy to the club’s cabinet following their recent MLS Cup victory. The fixture also marked the managerial debut for Kily González, who stepped into the role after administrative delays following the departure of Guillermo Hoyos.
El encuentro también marcó el debut como entrenador principal de Kily González, quien reemplazó a Guillermo Hoyos tras una demora administrativa de casi 20 días para asumir el cargo. El brasileño marcó el 2-0 ante La Máquina.
The tournament victory carried official status despite not being organized by Concacaf, holding full sanction from the leagues of the United States and Mexico. Kily González took charge of the squad with just a single training session under his belt, following the resolution of the necessary labor documentation required for his appointment.
Milestone Goals and Career Totals
The opening strike against Cruz Azul represented the centennial mark for Messi with the Florida franchise, coming across 115 official appearances, during which he has also accumulated 56 assists and holds a SofaScore rating of 8.31. The opponent carried a familiar resonance for the club; Cruz Azul was also the team against which Messi scored his very first goal for Inter Miami on July 21, 2023, via a decisive late free-kick after coming off the bench early in the second half under then-manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino.
Tras 115 encuentros con Inter Miami, la Pulga se adueñó de la Leagues Cup, la MLS Supporters’ Shield, la MLS Cup y la flamante Campeones Cup.
Following his opening goal, Messi turned provider near the end of the match. According to the sources, he delivered a great cross from the left flank that was met by Casemiro’s lethal header to seal the 2-0 final score, marking Casemiro’s fourth goal for the Herons in just 13 appearances. Tournament organizers subsequently named Messi the Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Campeones Cup.
All-Time Title Rankings and Club Statistics
With this latest championship, Messi extended his record as the most decorated player in the history of soccer, reaching a total of 48 official titles across his career with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Miami, and the Argentina national team, alongside a club career total of 810 goals—including 672 for Barcelona, 32 for PSG, 6 for Barcelona B, and 100 for Inter Miami. Behind him, positional shifts saw Marquinhos equal Dani Alves with 43 titles after surpassing Andrés Iniesta’s mark of 40 trophies.
Messi llega a esta consagración en un momento de gran producción individual: acumula 32 goles y 18 asistencias en 38 partidos de la temporada, y su cifra de 929 tantos lo consolida como el futbolista más ganador de la historia, con 35 títulos solo en su etapa en el Barcelona.
Within the North American league, Nashville stands out as the opponent that has conceded the highest number of goals from the Argentine forward, having surrendered 17 goals across various competitions since Messi’s arrival in the United States. Orlando City and Montreal follow in that regional breakdown with nine and eight goals conceded, respectively, alongside New England Revolution and Atlanta United with seven each.
Продолжение темы
