Overview
- Lionel Messi enters the match after winning the MLS Golden Boot with 29 goals in 28 games and is widely viewed as the MVP favorite.
- Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are expected to retire after the final, likely making this their last match alongside Messi.
- Since joining Vancouver in August, Thomas Müller has scored eight goals in 11 matches and has framed the MLS Cup as his immediate top priority.
- Legacy stakes add intrigue: a Vancouver win would make Müller the first player to win both a World Cup and MLS Cup, while a Miami victory would see Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Busquets become the first trio to claim both honors.
- Inter Miami has won 10 of its last 13 matches and dominated three playoff elimination games 13–1, while Vancouver previously beat Miami in April CONCACAF play.