Overview
- Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 6, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, with coverage on FOX and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
- Inter Miami reached the final by routing NYCFC 5-1, powered by a Tadeo Allende hat-trick, while Vancouver beat San Diego FC 3-1 behind a Brian White brace and a Pablo Sisniega own goal, securing both clubs’ first conference titles.
- Messi has directly contributed to 11 of Miami’s 18 postseason goals, underscoring his central role in the Herons’ attack.
- Thomas Müller framed the matchup as team vs. team and suggested Miami lean more on Messi than Vancouver do on him; Müller has prevailed in seven of his 10 prior meetings with Messi, with this set to be their 11th.
- Beyond the field, Messi’s 2023 arrival lifted Inter Miami’s local revenue roughly 300% and more than doubled the club’s valuation to about $1.19 billion, a backdrop to a final widely seen as a marketing showcase for MLS.