Messi nets 100th Inter Miami goal to seal Campeones Cup final win over Cruz Azul

Lionel Messi reached 100 goals for Inter Miami with a headed opener as the MLS side defeated Cruz Azul 2-0 in the Campeones Cup final on Wednesday night, adding another piece of silverware to a trophy haul that has grown steadily since the Argentine’s arrival in 2023.

Messi met a cross from Luis Suárez to score in the 24th minute — his 100th goal in 115 appearances across all competitions for Miami. The milestone carried a neat symmetry: it came against the same Cruz Azul side Messi scored his very first Miami goal against, a stoppage-time free kick that sealed a 2-1 debut win in July 2023.

Casemiro wrapped up the victory in the 81st minute, heading in a corner delivered by Messi himself. The Brazilian midfielder has now scored four goals in his last five matches, all headers, following strikes against CF Montréal, Atlanta United and Chicago Fire before being kept off the scoresheet against Nashville at the weekend.

The win gives Inter Miami their fourth trophy in three years under Messi. The club claimed the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and the MLS Cup in 2025, with the Campeones Cup now added to that collection.

Messi’s century of goals for a single club outside Europe underlines the scale of his impact on MLS since crossing the Atlantic. Reaching the landmark in a final, against the opponents who witnessed his debut goal, gave the occasion an added layer of significance for a player who continues to accumulate milestones well into the latter stages of his career.