Crowned on a Night of 100 Goals! Messi Scores Milestone Goal, New Coach Clinches Title in Debut
According to overseas media reports, on the pitch of the Campeones Cup final under the night sky of local time Wednesday, Messi scored his 100th career goal since joining Inter Miami. Casemiro added to the party shortly after, and the team ultimately defeated Cruz Azul 2-0, successfully securing the championship trophy.
For Inter Miami's new head coach, Christian "Kily" González, this could be described as a flawless debut. Earlier this week, he had just taken over from interim head coach Guillermo Ochoa, and immediately led the team to the title in his first match.
In the 24th minute, Luis Suárez delivered a precise cross, and Messi leaped high to head the ball into the net. This goal marked his official breakthrough of the 100-goal barrier in 115 matches across all competitions for Inter Miami. Dramatically, the opponent for this milestone moment was the same as two years ago – in July 2023, when Messi first stepped onto the Miami stage, it was also against Cruz Azul. He scored the winning free kick in stoppage time to help the team win 2-1.
With the match entering the 81st minute, Messi delivered a corner kick, and Casemiro flew in with a header to send the ball into the net, sealing the score at 2-0. The Brazilian midfielder has been in hot form recently, scoring four goals in the last five matches, with every goal scored via a header – previously he consecutively headed in goals against CF Montreal, Atlanta United, and Chicago Fire. The only match where he failed to score was Saturday's game against Nashville.
This title adds another honor trophy to the collection in Messi's three years since joining Inter Miami. Previously, the team had already won the 2023 Leagues Cup, the 2024 Supporters' Shield, and the 2025 MLS Cup.
Next stop, Inter Miami will host San Diego FC at their home ground, Nu Stadium, to continue the MLS season. The team currently sits second in the Eastern Conference standings, behind only Nashville SC.